Angelique Jackson
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher had a warning message for Hollywood’s major studios as she joined the WGA picket line outside Paramount Pictures on Monday afternoon.
“They feel like this strike is a strike for everyone in the industry,” Drescher said of SAG-AFTRA members and the WGA’s labor action.
In the year Dresker, who was elected president of SAG-AFTRA in September 2021, joined a coalition of members from each union, consisting of a few hundred members, who are voting outside Paramount to show their solidarity with Press Guild of America West President Meredith Stiehm. 9 a.m. PT the week the WGA strike began.
“It’s important to support our sister unions in the entertainment industry,” said Drescher. DifferenceShe is both a labor leader in her role as president of SAG-AFTRA, as well as a member of the WGA. “We have to cooperate with them. That’s the only way the energy can effectively stand up for itself and be recognized for our needs,” Drescher said.
Since the strike began on May 2, there has been a real sense of solidarity between the groups, as evidenced by the strong participation of WGA-AFTRA members on the WGA picket lines. Drescher described the sentiment of her membership as “very supportive” of the strike effort. SAG-AFTRA will begin its own contract talks with Motion Picture and Television Producers on June 7.
The WGA’s termination “forces AMPTP to recognize that there are interests that need to be recognized and contributions to the entertainment industry that need to be respected,” Drescher said. “I hope that between now and June 7, we will continue to plan the negotiations strategically and strategically. God willing, we will not reach this stage. Each association has different demands and needs. And while we support each, every negotiation is different.
Drescher was not very clear about what she expects the union’s negotiations to bring. In broad strokes, Drescher said SAG-AFTRA’s main focus is “structuring the contract to fit the current business model.”
(Pictured: SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and WGA West President Meredith Stiehm outside Paramount Pictures)
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