As of 12:01 AM (PT) on 9 November, the SAG-AFTRA Strike is over! The TV and Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously on approving a tentative agreement, establishing an extraordinary win for the union’s members everywhere. Strikes were suspended immediately upon the approval of the agreement and picket locations closed. The following days came with copious amounts of information being released to the union’s members as well as public statements from several people on the committee.
Even though the strikes are happening across the pond in America, it is having major impacts in the TV and Film industries in the United Kingdom. According to a recent survey conducted by BECTU (a UK entertainment industry union), found that three quarters of workers are currently not working. Most of those who answered they are not working are freelancers.
I have some bad and even disturbing news, in short the answer is simply it’s not going to happen. For anyone in the entertainment industry who is affected by the SAG-AFTRA strikes in America, benefits are unfortunately not accessible for the majority of workers. Where does this leave the workers? It means once again, most of its people are barely holding on and surviving off of their savings. As there is no end in sight for the SAG-AFTRA strikes, this means people are running out of time with the holiday season fast approaching.
