Bryan Cranston Leads Times Square Rally for Fair Pay & AI Protection in SAG-AFTRA Strike

SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, organized a large and impressive rally in Times Square on the twelfth day of their strike.

The strike began on July 14 after the film and TV contract negotiations with AMPTP failed.

A-list actors like Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, and others participated in the event, demanding fair treatment and expressing concerns about the use of AI and the impact of streaming on their pay.The strike led to the shutdown or delay of major productions, and SAG-AFTRA members picketed outside studios in LA and New York.The union and the studios have been unable to reach a new agreement, and no date has been set for further negotiations.

During the rally, Bryan Cranston urged Disneys CEO to understand their perspective and not replace them with robots.The actors cited their right to work and earn a decent living and expressed worries about the changing industry landscape.

Both actors and screenwriters went on strike simultaneously for the first time since 1960, with their main concerns being fair pay, residuals loss, and working conditions.SAG-AFTRA sought an 11% wage increase in the first year of the contract, but the studios offered only 5%.One of the major points of contention was the use of AI in creating replicas of performers, with the union demanding fair compensation and protection for human-created work.Issues such as increasing "span" figures, improving pension and health contributions, and coverage for performance-capture work were also at odds between the union and the studios.

The strike was personally significant for many actors, with Christian Slater sharing how the unions healthcare supported his late father, and Liza Colón-Zayas emphasizing the need for transparency in streaming payments.Despite the strike, SAG-AFTRA expressed its willingness to return to the bargaining table.

However, the negotiations remained at a standstill, and both parties seemed far from reaching an agreement.