Summary
- George Clooney's $150 million proposal to end the SAG-AFTRA strike was seen as symbolic and irrelevant to the actual issues at hand.
- The negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP broke down, and Clooney's proposal did not bring the two sides closer to an agreement.
- Clooney's approach fails to address the real issues in the strike, including transparency, financial incentive alignment, and A.I. protections.
A new report explains why the $150 million proposal made by George Clooney and other A-list actors to end the SAG-AFTRA strike failed. The actors ed the WGA on strike starting on July 14, though since then, the writers reached a deal with the AMPTP while SAG-AFTRA continues their fight for fair pay. The latest update revealed that negotiations collapsed between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, with the two sides seemingly no closer to an agreement than when they first started. In response, Clooney, Affleck, and other A-listers made a proposal to end the strike, though it was rejected.
Now, in his latest "What I'm Hearing" newsletter for Puck, industry insider Matthew Belloni broke down why Clooney and company's bid to end the SAG-AFTRA strike didn't work. He says their plan "doesn't even make sense," and furthermore, the $150 million proposal was "a symbolic gesture, a very expensive bone to throw at the proletariat, and entirely irrelevant to the issues in this negotiation." Belloni concluded his breakdown by reiterating, "That’s the problem with the Clooney gambit: It doesn’t address the actual issues," which include "transparency, financial incentive alignment, and A.I. protections."
George Clooney’s $150 Million Proposal To End the SAG-AFTRA Strike Explained
After the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP collapsed, Clooney and other A-list actors made a proposal intended to end the strike. During a meeting with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and lead negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Clooney and company proposed eliminating the current cap on union dues, which is set at $1 million in earnings. The change would generate an additional $50 million annually for the actors union coming primarily from its highest-earning . This would restructure the hierarchy so lower-paid actors receive residuals first and help make up for what SAG-AFTRA fails to receive from its negotiations with the AMPTP.
Why Some Actors Are Still Working During The SAG-AFTRA Strike
Despite the of SAG-AFTRA going on strike starting on July 14, 2023, some actors are still able to work on movie and television show sets.
Belloni explains that Clooney's proposal, which would amount to $150 million over three years, might lead to better benefits in the short term, such as healthcare supplements. However, SAG-AFTRA was skeptical of the proposal since it's illegal for individual to finance healthcare benefits, as plans are typically funded by employers.
Commenting on Clooney's proposal, Crabtree-Ireland said, "This is super well-intentioned and we appreciate ideas from all our , but it doesn’t solve the problem." On Instagram, Fran Drescher also shot it down. Thus, SAG-AFTRA will have to turn elsewhere for solutions as they continue their fight for fair pay.
Source: Puck, Fran Drescher/Instagram
