Friday, November 20, 2020
SAG-AFTRA Reaches Deal With Actors Equity Over Live Performance
Variety: SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity have settled a bitter jurisdictional dispute over which should cover the streaming of live events.
The performers unions announced the settlement late Thursday. Actors’ Equity, which represents 51,000 theater actors and stage managers, had accused SAG-AFTRA of raiding its turf and undercutting its contracts by negotiating lower-paying deals with theaters for streaming productions.
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So the ruling is SAG-AFTRA is totally in control but they are allowing AEA to do it right now while things are rough. I think this is a band-aid for a much larger issue that will come around again sooner than both groups will admit. BUT, it does allow people to keep working right now and to make sure no one is getting screwed out of a job.
I look forward to seeing how this will be resolved when COVID is less of a pressing issue but when theatre is still trying to be present in a digital world. I see a lot of roadblocks if AEA and SAG-AFTRA wanted to merge at some future point but that's not my job to worry about.
I have been following this bitter fight since it started, and I admit to being a bit confused at this point. SAG-AFTRA and AEA reached an agreement, and have made a decision, but it is unclear what shifted the conversation. I wonder what else has been happening behind closed doors. Or maybe it is not that insidious, and SAG-AFTRA decided that they were being too harsh. The last time I read about this, AEA was already making the claim that SAG-AFTRA was taking over and undercutting workers wages, so that is not new information. It is possible that, as time has elapsed and this pandemic has continued, SAG-AFTRA has shifted their stance in response to the desperate spot that theatre folks are in. Maybe the venues involved were worried about backlash from AEA for contracting with SAG-AFTRA and started pulling contracts. Any which way, this seems like good news for our end of the industry.
I’m glad to see that these two powerhouse unions came to an agreement and I hope that after Dec. 31, 2021, AEA can keep their rights. I understand the position that SAG-AFTRA is in and what they are trying to protect, but the streaming of a theatre performance is not the same as broadcasting a TV program or movie. Theatre is a separate beast and it also undervalues the work of the artists who daily put on these shows as well as the crews who work them when another union tries to muscle in, pay less, and offer less benefits. SAG needs to step back and stop trying to be the big bad union out there for entertainment. Live theatre existed long before film ever did and just because it has more members does not make it the leader in the industry. Kudos to Equity for not backing down and protecting it’s members, some of whom are not and never want to be SAG members.
SAG-AFTRA’s wording in this is so….I do not know…sticky is the word that comes to mind. It comes off as if the are doing AEA a favor and are being “gracious” by allowing AEA members to, you know, work and make a living. I am glad that there is a temporary solution. I worry that the pandemic will not be entirely under control by the end of these terms. What happens then? I fear that it will be back to the bitter fighting that was occurring when this all started. This entire fight did show some ugly colors on all sides. Seeing some actors in both unions saying that stage managers should just be left out? And that they should just join IATSE as if that helps the managers? Honestly, so disappointing. I am glad that AEA officials did not have this mindset, but it still stings to have seen performers so willingly leave members of their union in the dust during these troubling times.
I’m glad that these two unions finally reached an agreement, but I think Equity gave too many concessions to SAG-AFTRA. I disagree that SAG-AFTRA should have total jurisdiction over the internet and things that are being streamed. Next thing they’re going to go after every home video uploaded to YouTube for not using union actors. Obviously, that’s a hyperbolic joke, but the internet should be a more competitive open market. Now, I think with the major streaming service like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu it’s a different story. These companies have forced themselves into the movie and television industry and have forced the other studios to take them seriously. However, that still leaves a lot of room for livestreaming and VOD markets on sites like YouTube and Twitch. The existence of streaming theater isn’t going to replace television or film. The markets aren’t as competitive and no SAG-AFTRA is going to lose work because I was able to stream Hadestown. However, theater (and Broadway specifically) has an accessibility problem that should be address. There is an opportunity to make extra revenue moving forward by offered streaming performances, even when live performances return, and Equity should fight for it.
One would think that, in a time of crisis, our industry could come together for support instead of bickering, especially when the threat of bankruptcy and financial ruin are much closer than the horizon for many folks. When I first heard about this conflict, my first thought was that SAG-AFTRA is incredibly tone-deaf to the world around it. In my mind, it seems that they care far more about money than people. The transition to streaming theatre was a decision of necessity, and it isn't necessarily taking jobs that SAG-AFTRA unions members would otherwise have gotten. Their announcement that "Recognizing the challenges for theater during the pandemic and that the only way for live theater companies to reach audiences is by recording and/or streaming productions to a remote audience, SAG-AFTRA has agreed that AEA will cover this work during the pandemic period with a term concluding Dec. 31, 2021, subject to certain limitations ..." should have been the first thing they said. The icing on the cake is the statement that "[SAG_AFTRA is] pleased that [they] are able to help create work opportunities for AEA members when it is vitally needed, while also protecting SAG-AFTRA members’ work opportunities now and into the future." Really? Very little of the transition to streaming took away jobs from SAG-AFTRA members. These were in-person productions pivoting in order to stay afloat. While I recognize the fact that this union's members need it to exist as much as IATSE's and AEA's members do, I could not have less respect for the organization following their childish behavior in this situation.
Like some people have stated, I’m glad they've finally reached some sort of agreement. Some of the comments said by union reps and performers alike were pretty icky. On the Stage Management facebook page, I saw a hoard of posts about this. Not Coming from a manager, it definitely stung to hear that some actors would just rather put stage managers with IATSE. In the time of the damn pandemic, SAG-AFTRA is really worrying about the live streaming rights when theatre is still theatre? Yes it’s obviously using streaming platforms, but..what..does...SAG-AFTRA...recommend..they do? This bickering is insane coming from two entertainment industry giants, and to read this is so unsettling for someone who wants to spend their life in this industry. Again, I’m glad they reached a deal but this entire situation has shown still how divided we are as an industry. It’s just very apparent that dollar signs meant more than helping produce artwork.
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