SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called the misogyny that followed her during strike negotiations and interviews “disgusting.” She's expressed her opinion on it before, but her remarks today come at the New York Women in Film & Television's annual gala, where she was honored. It attracted a particularly positive audience.
Drescher was unable to attend in person because his father recently passed away. “She instilled in me the importance of never crossing the picket line,” she said. Her parents also attended her speech, and SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Linda Powell spoke at the NYWIFT Muse Awards. I read it out loud.
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“Being a woman at the center of the global labor movement has been an honor, but certainly at times extremely difficult,” Drescher said in a statement. “Of course I couldn't escape misogyny…but I refused and always will refuse to conform to male expectations.”
Drescher, now in his second term, led actors in a historic 118-day strike last year.
“We did it because we had no other choice…wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. And without guardrails, we are all at risk of having an inhumane workforce,” the statement read. Stated. “As AI technologies become increasingly powerful, workers everywhere, and certainly within our industry, are reaching breaking point.”
The union's $1 billion deal with the studio included the first AI protections for actors. AI is also a major hurdle in SAG-AFTRA's ongoing contract negotiations with the video game industry.
After more than a year of negotiating a new interactive media agreement, SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland indicated earlier this month that the guild could soon walk away from the negotiating table. It's been more than a year since the Guild's video game contract was extended beyond its original expiration date. SAG-AFTRA's last strike against gaming companies lasted 183 days from 2016 to 2017.
Recalling last year's labor action, Drescher said: “Even during the most difficult weeks of the strike, I drew inspiration from the thousands of people who came to the picket lines to speak out and did not allow changes in technology or business models to take away their capabilities. I continued to receive rations. I have a career in ~ [arts]. I am encouraged by the thought of future generations who need to protect their dreams of achieving sustainable livelihoods. As he told his 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members, times have changed. We are in a different era now. And sometimes the best way to build a better world is to refuse to accept anything less. Know your worth. Please do not sell. ”
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