April Simms of the Washington State Labor Council leads a protest rally of Striking Performers on Lake Union
Heading into week three of the SAG AFTRA Strike performers are stepping up their presence in the Pacific Northwest.
“The Workers United Will Never be Defeated!!!” April Simms led a strike rally on Friday with union members on the banks of Lake Union in Seattle “It is about the survival of your profession, we know that wealthy executives who run television and film production companies aren’t just trying to take away your pay and your residuals, they’re trying to take away you” Simms is head of the Washington State Labor Council.
The Writers Guild of America went on strike more than 90 days ago and both unions are fighting the same issue: the use of Artificial Intelligence.
“We need A-I regulation and streaming residuals” says Seattle based actor Rik Deskin.
Movie makers and Television producers are looking to use Artificial Intelligence to capture the images & voices of actors, pay them once, and use those features indefinitely.
Similar rallies were held in Anchorage & Boise “Next Thursday we’re going to have three different shifts” but Union Rep Davis Powell told the rank and file coordinated rallies are planned this week from coast to coast “To leaflet Amazon headquarters (we want) to show them, their workers, all the tourists, everyone showing up around the spheres that we need a fair contract and we need it now.”
Amazon Web Services is considered a leader in Artificial Intelligence applications.
The publishing industry has been flooded with books written by A-I and Deskin says acting is a part-time job for most people “Now days actors can’t even make their healthcare” health insurance is offered through SAG AFTRA but there’s an earnings threshold “$26,000 to qualify for healthcare, and they’re not even making that.”
Both strikes put the brakes on Movie and TV production: the fall television season has been shifted, movie releases are in limbo and the Emmy awards have been pushed back to January, 2024.
But actors like Rik Deskin know there’s no turning back if they don’t fight back against the influences of Artificial intelligence “It’s crazy that they want to scan, pay a flat fee, and use that image in perpetuity! Who does that?”
This could be a long strike because there’s a clear line in the sand “We’re holding the line until the APTP (American Motion Picture and Television Producers) comes back to the table with meaningful terms.”
