Thread by @slack2thefuture

Since the CEOs walked away from negotiations with SAG-AFTRA on Oct. 11, the AMPTP and Molly Levinson’s unionbusting crisis PR firm have been spinning out nothing but propaganda and outright lies.

With negotiations resuming tomorrow, it’s time to set the record straight.🧵

MINIMUMS:

SAG-AFTRA is seeking a significantly larger increase in minimums than the WGA and DGA got. But there are good reasons for that.

First, a 5% increase after 2 years of 6+% inflation isn’t a raise at all — it’s a pay cut.

The WGA got enough increases in other areas to compensate for the 5% increase in our deal. But SAG-AFTRA is a different union with different needs.

And performers *need* a significant increase in minimums.

For example, here’s what a writer, director, and actor in a major guest star role get paid on a 1 hr streaming show:

Writer: $31,812
Director: $25,432
Actor: $3,756/wk

And they rarely work more than 2 weeks.

Still think they don’t need a big increase in minimums?

REVENUE SHARING / SUCCESS-BASED RESIDUALS:

Like the WGA, SAG-AFTRA members are seeking additional compensation for their work on the most successful shows in streaming. This kind of reward for success has a long and successful history in linear TV and movies.

For decades, we had a system where hit movies and TV shows continued to pay residuals to the actors, writers, and directors who worked on them. And pension & health payments for crew members were based on these residuals.

It was a good system that incentivized great work.

But in the streaming era, actors on huge hit shows that bring millions of subscribers to a streaming platform get paid the same low rate as those on a show that flops. Streamers have gutted the incentive to do great work and denied their top performers a fair share of success.

The new WGA contract addresses this with a bonus residual for the most successful shows.

SAG-AFTRA has a different proposal tailored to their needs, commonly refered to as Revenue Sharing or Rev Share.

SAG-AFTRA’s initial ask was 2% of a streaming show’s contributions to revenues. When CEOs balked, the negcom cut their ask in half, to 1% — and shifted to percentage per subscriber.

This was a clear, good faith effort on SAG’s part to make a deal. The CEOs stormed out anyway.

And since walking out, the streamers have tried to misrepresent this good faith compromise as a “tax” on their subscribers.

It’s only a tax if streamers pass this cost onto consumers by raising rates (again) instead of taking the cost out of their $30 billion/year in profits.

SAG-AFTRA performers have *always* survived on revenue sharing — but streamers didn’t factor that cost into their business model.

Actors pour their hearts and souls into streaming shows with the promise of “we’ll cut you in later.”

Well, now is the time.

AI:

This one is simple. For WGA writers, the threat of AI was largely hypothetical — a way they might abuse us in the future.

For SAG-AFTRA members, the threat of AI is here now.

Voice actors are having their voices stolen. Background actors are being paid once and scanned for reuse in perpetuity throughout the universe. Stunt performers can have their stunts captured — and its the last time they’ll get paid even if the company uses their stunt forever.

The threat of AI is existential both for SAG-AFTRA as a union and for performers as professionals. This issue is now or never.

SAG-AFTRA leaders are right to hold the line for AI protections — because if they don’t win this fight now, 2026 will be too late.

SAG-AFTRA members — along with everyone in the industry — are understandably eager for the strike to end. We all want to get back to work in the business we love.

But seeing the issues above, can anyone blame them for holding the line to get what they need?

There will always be those union members who put their personal wants over the needs of fellow members, who will urge union leaders to take “any deal as long as it’s now.”

The WGA has a few. I’m sure SAG-AFTRA does, too.

But I hope the vast majority of SAG-AFTRA members, from the biggest names to the rank-and-file, will be wise enough to ignore the lies and spin from the AMPTP and remember you are all fighting for each other and for your future.

Stay strong.
Stand together.
Win.
#SAGAFTRAStrong