“People are like, ‘Well, is your job really all that important?’” says Chicago-based actor Christopher Meister, who’s been a member of the Screen Actors Guild (formally known as SAG-AFTRA after the merger with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 2012) for more than 20 years. “Whose job did you watch the most when we were all out of work during the pandemic? It was ours, it was the actor.”
He has a point. I sure watched a hell of a lot of movies during the pandemic. And before the pandemic. And after. As has been the case for most of my adult life, I’ve also watched a lot of movies (and occasionally, some television) this summer. What’s been different this year is that, like many others, I’m now thinking more about those who made what I’m watching, both in front of and behind the camera. While previously I have considered the contributions these people make to the artistry of the film or television show in question—of which there is such an abundance; we are truly faced with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to what’s on TV—the struggles they face in this new era of media consumption are only recently something I’ve examined so intently.
This is, of course, due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes. On April 17, the WGA announced that an overwhelming majority of its members (approximately 98 percent!—Chicago in particular has more than 100 members) had voted to authorize a strike. On May 1, when the guild failed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the deadline for a new contract had passed, the strike went into effect and a work stoppage began.
The guild’s demands are extensive, certainly more than a layperson scanning the headlines can fully understand. In broad strokes, however, writers are seeking: increased residuals, specifically from streaming services, around which there are currently no set standards; higher minimum pay rates; minimums for writers’ rooms, for episodic television in particular, with specifications on the number of writers involved and their employment duration; and, most eye-catchingly, clarity about the future of artificial intelligence and how studios might utilize it instead of hiring real people.
“[A] new deal needs to be made with the new technology, which is streamers,” says Brett Neveu, local screenwriter, playwright, professor, and WGA East strike captain. “just like we did with DVDs back in the 2006–2007 strike.”
SAG-AFTRA soon followed suit. “For the first time in a very long time, our member leadership stands in solidarity at the negotiating committee and the National Board levels on moving forward with a strike authorization,” said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher before the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Agreement’s expiration at midnight on June 30. “We must get all our ducks in a row should the need present itself.” The need indeed presented itself, as Drescher later announced that a strike would commence at midnight on July 14. Many of the demands are similar to those of the writers, with some industry-specific differences, such as those concerning self-taped auditions, hair and makeup equity, and even a clause that entitles performers “who must wear restrictive corsets or other binding costumes” to additional compensation. However, demands regarding streaming residuals and emerging technology remain at the forefront of popular consciousness.
“Essentially we’re just doing what we did in the past of, hey, there’s a new medium, there’s a new way of doing this, we need to have a structure in place to insure the actor,” says Meister, who, in addition to a recurring role as a prosecuting attorney on some of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago shows (Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice), costarred last year on the Apple TV+ show Shining Girls. “And they’re not even willing to meet us at the table.”
“I make more off of my network shows than I did Apple, and those network shows I might do one or two episodes a season, if that,” he says. “I don’t even understand the [Apple TV+] residuals . . . neither does my agent. We just randomly all of the sudden got a check a year and a half after these were shown.”
Local filmmaker Jim Vendiola is among many writer-directors who aren’t members of a guild but still feel solidarity with the striking writers and actors. He identifies similarities between how these strikes are perceived and other labor struggles in Chicago. “I’m in full support of these folks,” he says. “At the bare minimum, just, like, having a livable wage is obviously foundational to survival. So the fact that it even needs to be on the table . . . and that hasn’t been addressed, and the narrative that’s being spun is not dissimilar to other union efforts, like the ones we see elsewhere and in Chicago, such as the CTU, right?”
“One of the most amazing things is solidarity with all the unions,” says Neveu. “[Chicago] is the home of the union. That’s been amazing, just to watch the Chicago Federation of Labor, the teachers’ union, the airlines, the steelworkers, teamsters, everybody is joining up. Because it’s essentially all the same fight.”
Meister spoke about how other industries involved in the filmmaking process could be affected, particularly concerning the issue of artificial intelligence. “[AI] is a real threat to every aspect of the industry. Writers and actors are quicker to realize that than anyone else, including the people who are often referred to as ‘below the line.’ If it affects a writer, it’s going to affect an actor; it will have an impact on teamsters, IATSE members, catering . . . You don’t need those things if you don’t need a set.”
Speaking about artificial intelligence, Luigi Sottile, a Chicago-based SAG-AFTRA actor, points out that “[i]t just perpetuates . . . horrible art. Artificial intelligence can never have its heart broken. It can never give birth or fall in love. It can never have the human experience that people turn to art to see themselves in. There’s no way we can see ourselves in machines, and there’s no way machines can see ‘themselves’ in us.”
Meister continues, “This strike is significant. I anticipate it will last a long time. It might very well become the longest strike we’ve ever seen.” The record to break is six months; in the year 2000 members of SAG-AFTRA, then divided into two groups, went on strike against the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Many will also recall the writers’ strike of 2007–2008, which greatly impacted the television landscape, specifically, and is considered a reason for the ongoing proliferation of reality TV programming.
Alongside the protests occurring in Los Angeles and New York, there have also been strike rallies here in Chicago. Both those involved and those not directly connected are naturally wondering what these strikes mean for the city’s recently thriving production industry. As noted by South Side Weekly in a recent article about the strikes, the Chicago Film Office’s Current Production Information page simply states, “Postings will be listed on this page when they are available. Please check back with us.” In July, Block Club Chicago cited a source who referred to Cinespace Studios as a “ghost town.”
“The writers’ strike is certainly going to cause some disruptions, but I’m confident they’ll work out their issues,” remarked Zain Koita, cofounder of the Knickpoint investment group, which is funding the upcoming Fields Studios. He told ABC7 Chicago, “Content creation is not going away, so we’ll have a home for them when they’re ready.”
“At least for the fall, things have come to a complete stop,” says Sottile. “For example, the Chicago shows.” Sottile has held roles on both Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. “It’s a little nerve-racking,” he adds. “I’m definitely being more cautious with money . . . hopefully, if we come out of this, it will be for the better.”
While the implications may seem obvious for larger productions that rely heavily on union writers and actors (as Neveu notes, most TV shows were already shut down for summer, but those such as the One Chicago shows were ramping up and are now just waiting), smaller productions are also feeling the effects.
“The strikes have completely altered the trajectory of my plans for this year,” says Vendiola. “I was in discussions about optioning a limited series I’ve been developing since the fall of 2021.” He continues, “I support the writers and the actors. The streamers hold everyone at their mercy; their lack of transparency is deeply concerning. But, at the same time, it’s incredibly disruptive to have been on such a promising path, only to indefinitely shelve those plans.”
Chicago-based actor and independent filmmaker Emily Lape has aspirations to shoot her second feature in September. She applied for an Interim Agreement with SAG-AFTRA, specifically under the Ultra Low Budget Project Agreement. “It’s a significant blow to us because we’re a small team of three to four people, particularly on the production side,” she explains. “Additionally, we already have a sizable cast and crew confirmed. We initially reached out to [SAG-AFTRA] as soon as the union went on strike—reached out to our representative and got no response. A week later, when they began revealing details about an interim agreement, we reached out again and received an automated email stating they were overwhelmed with emails. We also made multiple calls. It reached the point where crew members contacted me and asked, ‘Is this project still happening? Our dates are set, should we proceed?’ They need to earn a living and secure some income, so we ultimately had to postpone it. We didn’t know when we’d hear from SAG, and it wasn’t fair to keep people in limbo over our shooting dates when we genuinely didn’t know if we could move forward.”
Overall, however, another local filmmaker, Michael Glover Smith, who’s also preparing to shoot a feature in early 2024, highlights the benefits of these Interim Agreements. “What I find ingenious is how SAG is allowing independent filmmakers to utilize SAG actors. Essentially, they’re exposing the greed of the studios and streamers,” he notes. “While A24 is making movies because they’re agreeing to terms that the studios and streamers won’t, I’m adhering to the ultra low budget terms. It’s a fair way to provide people with work while also revealing the hypocrisy and greed of major studios.”
He continues, “The ones who are suffering the most now are the ones who were already struggling the most before the strike started—the people who weren’t making much money.”
And what does all of it mean? “It shows that you need the workers to make the thing that you are selling to the people,” says Neveu. “As writers and the actors, too, we’re the people who make the things.”
As of this story’s publication, the WGA strike has shown some progress, with the WGA and AMPTP scheduled to meet for the fourth consecutive day after not having been in the same room since the strike began in May. On the other hand, the SAG-AFTRA strike remains stalled. A recent poll found that 67 percent of surveyed Americans support both strikes. On Tuesday, August 22, SAG-AFTRA and WGA united with the AFL-CIO and its affiliates across various industries here in Chicago at Buckingham Fountain for a National Day of Solidarity strike, with similar protests taking place on the coasts and other major cities. The message is clear: the strikers aren’t just asking for fair compensation and representation, but for respect—for their talent, skills, likeness, and most importantly, their jobs. It appears that some individuals may need to spend the remainder of their summer vacation learning just that.
“We’re no strangers to hard work,” says Sottile. “We’re no strangers to chomping at the bit and having multiple jobs in order to sustain [ourselves] so we can do what we love.”