Hollywood Strike: Actors Agree to Mediation

LOS ANGELES –

Hollywood union actors on the brink of strike have agreed to allow last-minute intervention from federal mediators, but say they doubt a deal will be reached by a late Wednesday negotiation deadline.

“We are committed to the negotiation process and will explore and exploit every possible opportunity to close a deal, but we are not confident that the employers intend to reach an agreement,” said the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Radio and Television. That’s what artists said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The actors could join the already-striking Writers Guild of America and bring the already-delayed production process to a halt if an agreement is not reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The parties agreed on an extension ahead of the contract’s original expiration date of June 30, moving it back to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

When SAG-AFTRA released a statement on Tuesday evening, the growing pessimism surrounding the talks appeared to be turning into open hostility.

It came on the heels of a report in Variety that a group of Hollywood CEOs had been the driving force behind the mediation request, which the union said was leaked before negotiators were aware of the request.

The AMPTP declined comment through a representative. It’s not clear whether federal mediators have agreed to participate, but such intervention would presumably require more time than the hours remaining on the contract.

“The AMPTP has betrayed our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” the SAG-AFTRA statement said. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to secure an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”

Issues on the table during the talks include residual wages and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.