SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher reacts to Hollywood studios breaking off negotiations

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES: Fran Drescher has steered the actors guild by means of its monthslong strike. On the heels of Hollywood studios abruptly breaking off talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists this week, the actor and union president says she’s baffled and disillusioned.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers introduced Wednesday that that they had suspended contract negotiations, saying the hole between the 2 sides was too nice to make persevering with price it and characterizing their supply nearly as good because the one which lately ended the writers’ strike. Drescher informed The Associated Press in a Thursday interview that she didn’t perceive why negotiations collapsed however that her union’s resolve has not weakened. 

The interview has been edited for readability and brevity.

AP: Can you discuss what occurred in your negotiations with the AMPTP?

DRESCHER: They had given us a proposal package deal. We labored for like 36 hours on it. We introduced it again to them. We walked them by means of it and so they left after which referred to as just a few hours later and stated, “We’re breaking negotiations.” So it isn’t solely baffling however wholly disappointing and counterproductive.

I’ve by no means actually met folks that truly do not perceive what negotiations imply. Why are you strolling away from the desk? To what finish do you hope that that can accomplish something?

And really, my members are extra pumped up than ever. They really feel so insulted by this, so degraded by this and dishonoured by this that it is like, “Fran, do not cave. Remain strong. Hold onto your resolve because this can’t be for nothing.”

AP: Can you speak in regards to the temper of the conversations earlier than they broke off? Was there a way that talks can be smoother after the studios reached a cope with the Writers Guild of America?

DRESCHER: With the writers guild additionally, they broke negotiations with that too. So now {that a} contract has been agreed upon, all people’s all heat and fuzzy. But on the time, I feel it was very contentious. They don’t love to present away ice in winter.

So I’ve by no means actually handled this sort of affront, of indignation and a have to get their very own manner. I feel that they are very used to getting their very own manner. I feel that the concept that we need to go right into a pocket to compensate for the dearth of revenue that we can not get for our working members in a streaming mannequin is simply so repugnant to them. And they only really feel like, “Who are we to want to get compensated the way we used to be? Who are we to think that we deserve to make an honest wage that meets inflation? Who are we to challenge them in any way? We should be so lucky to get whatever they want because they’re the bosses.”

And I preserve stating to them that that type of enterprise observe is unsustainable these days. It was perhaps one thing that folks purchased into within the twentieth century. But that “dog eat dog, the bottom line is the bottom line,” it simply would not pan out. And we will not suppose that manner anymore. You cannot go into a complete new enterprise and never query how that is going to affect the foundational contributors to what you are promoting. And that is precisely what they did. And now they’re like aggravated at us for stating the issue.

It’s actually like an alternate universe. I can not even imagine it. And I preserve making an attempt to place it into a worldwide context that they’ve a accountability to employees. They’re leaders within the trade. They ought to set an instance for industries all over the world. This is their alternative as effectively to lift the bar on how employers cope with employees. How they thank them, how they embrace them, how they deal with them like folks.

AP: This will formally be the longest strike in your guild’s historical past subsequent week. What are your ideas on how we acquired right here?

DRESCHER: Well, I feel it is indicative of the truth that they stopped speaking to us again on July 12 and did not come again till lower than 10 days in the past. You know, we have solely met with them a few instances. Monday, half a day Wednesday, half a day Friday. That was what they had been obtainable for. Then this previous week, it was Monday and a half a day on Wednesday. And then “Bye-bye.”

I do not even know what they’re pondering. But I did say to them, “With all due respect, we have been waiting for you to come back.” We wished to avert a strike. We prolonged an unprecedented extension and we referred to as them within the eleventh hour. … They do not actually need to negotiate. They simply need us to love what they need us to love. They don’t desire us to have a thoughts. They don’t desire us to have a thought. They don’t desire us to have emotions or complain that we will not make a dwelling and we will not assist our households and we’re having issues paying the hire.

They do not need to hear about it as a result of they preserve giving us this big inflated variety of how a lot they’re spending on manufacturing and the way a lot they’re paying out to our union in wage. But it is all divided up amongst so many hundreds of those that it would not add as much as something aside from our highest-paying earners, which I’ve zero drawback with. And we’re combating for them as effectively with AI. They’re very involved about their likeness, their essence of being. The factor that makes them a star goes to be ripped off, going to be changed into one thing that is hardly even recognizable.

AP: So, what now?

DRESCHER: Well, they referred to as and stated, “We’re walking away. We’re breaking negotiations.” Now, we’re within the midst of a critical negotiating committee assembly. Everybody went out on the picket traces right now (Thursday). The resolve could be very sturdy.

So I feel that they suppose that we will cower, however that is by no means going to occur as a result of this can be a crossroads and we should keep on target.

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LOS ANGELES: Fran Drescher has steered the actors guild by means of its monthslong strike. On the heels of Hollywood studios abruptly breaking off talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists this week, the actor and union president says she’s baffled and disillusioned.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers introduced Wednesday that that they had suspended contract negotiations, saying the hole between the 2 sides was too nice to make persevering with price it and characterizing their supply nearly as good because the one which lately ended the writers’ strike. Drescher informed The Associated Press in a Thursday interview that she didn’t perceive why negotiations collapsed however that her union’s resolve has not weakened. 

The interview has been edited for readability and brevity.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

AP: Can you discuss what occurred in your negotiations with the AMPTP?

DRESCHER: They had given us a proposal package deal. We labored for like 36 hours on it. We introduced it again to them. We walked them by means of it and so they left after which referred to as just a few hours later and stated, “We’re breaking negotiations.” So it isn’t solely baffling however wholly disappointing and counterproductive.

I’ve by no means actually met folks that truly do not perceive what negotiations imply. Why are you strolling away from the desk? To what finish do you hope that that can accomplish something?

And really, my members are extra pumped up than ever. They really feel so insulted by this, so degraded by this and dishonoured by this that it is like, “Fran, do not cave. Remain strong. Hold onto your resolve because this can’t be for nothing.”

AP: Can you speak in regards to the temper of the conversations earlier than they broke off? Was there a way that talks can be smoother after the studios reached a cope with the Writers Guild of America?

DRESCHER: With the writers guild additionally, they broke negotiations with that too. So now {that a} contract has been agreed upon, all people’s all heat and fuzzy. But on the time, I feel it was very contentious. They don’t love to present away ice in winter.

So I’ve by no means actually handled this sort of affront, of indignation and a have to get their very own manner. I feel that they are very used to getting their very own manner. I feel that the concept that we need to go right into a pocket to compensate for the dearth of revenue that we can not get for our working members in a streaming mannequin is simply so repugnant to them. And they only really feel like, “Who are we to want to get compensated the way we used to be? Who are we to think that we deserve to make an honest wage that meets inflation? Who are we to challenge them in any way? We should be so lucky to get whatever they want because they’re the bosses.”

And I preserve stating to them that that type of enterprise observe is unsustainable these days. It was perhaps one thing that folks purchased into within the twentieth century. But that “dog eat dog, the bottom line is the bottom line,” it simply would not pan out. And we will not suppose that manner anymore. You cannot go into a complete new enterprise and never query how that is going to affect the foundational contributors to what you are promoting. And that is precisely what they did. And now they’re like aggravated at us for stating the issue.

It’s actually like an alternate universe. I can not even imagine it. And I preserve making an attempt to place it into a worldwide context that they’ve a accountability to employees. They’re leaders within the trade. They ought to set an instance for industries all over the world. This is their alternative as effectively to lift the bar on how employers cope with employees. How they thank them, how they embrace them, how they deal with them like folks.

AP: This will formally be the longest strike in your guild’s historical past subsequent week. What are your ideas on how we acquired right here?

DRESCHER: Well, I feel it is indicative of the truth that they stopped speaking to us again on July 12 and did not come again till lower than 10 days in the past. You know, we have solely met with them a few instances. Monday, half a day Wednesday, half a day Friday. That was what they had been obtainable for. Then this previous week, it was Monday and a half a day on Wednesday. And then “Bye-bye.”

I do not even know what they’re pondering. But I did say to them, “With all due respect, we have been waiting for you to come back.” We wished to avert a strike. We prolonged an unprecedented extension and we referred to as them within the eleventh hour. … They do not actually need to negotiate. They simply need us to love what they need us to love. They don’t desire us to have a thoughts. They don’t desire us to have a thought. They don’t desire us to have emotions or complain that we will not make a dwelling and we will not assist our households and we’re having issues paying the hire.

They do not need to hear about it as a result of they preserve giving us this big inflated variety of how a lot they’re spending on manufacturing and the way a lot they’re paying out to our union in wage. But it is all divided up amongst so many hundreds of those that it would not add as much as something aside from our highest-paying earners, which I’ve zero drawback with. And we’re combating for them as effectively with AI. They’re very involved about their likeness, their essence of being. The factor that makes them a star goes to be ripped off, going to be changed into one thing that is hardly even recognizable.

AP: So, what now?

DRESCHER: Well, they referred to as and stated, “We’re walking away. We’re breaking negotiations.” Now, we’re within the midst of a critical negotiating committee assembly. Everybody went out on the picket traces right now (Thursday). The resolve could be very sturdy.

So I feel that they suppose that we will cower, however that is by no means going to occur as a result of this can be a crossroads and we should keep on target. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp