. There are 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing everyone from A-list stars to struggling actors working other jobs while awaiting their first break in the industry. The union argues that the rapid changes in the industry in recent years, with the rise of streaming services, have made it impossible for many if not most of the members to earn a living acting. This is the largest number of union members to be on strike since 180,000 Teamsters walked out on UPS in 1997.
Management claims it made what it termed an historic offer with significant pay increases for some job classifications, the largest increase in pay minimums in 35 years and new protections that addressed union concerns about the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, in movies and television shows.