The SAG-AFTRA strike is set to impact tens of thousands of individuals in the industry, but there’s one group that won’t be affected: news and broadcast members. While there has been some confusion surrounding who will be impacted, news industry agents have been providing SAG-AFTRA fact sheets to journalist clients to clarify the situation. These journalists may be wondering what will happen to them when the strike begins on Friday.
The good news is that SAG-AFTRA news and broadcast members will not be going on strike. This is because reporters, anchors, hosts, and producers who are members of the union work under individual station or network contracts, rather than the TV and theatrical agreement. As a result, the terms and conditions of their employment will remain the same and will not be affected by the strike.
SAG-AFTRA has made it clear that members in the news and broadcast industry should not participate in any scripted dramatic live action entertainment production covered by the SAG/AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts. However, they are not required to walk a picket line, although doing so would show solidarity. If members have concerns about conflicts with journalism or employer policies, they are encouraged to contact SAG-AFTRA staff before joining a picket.
It’s worth noting that 65,000 of the union’s members, representing 47.69% of eligible voters, participated in the strike vote, with nearly 98% voting in favor. Picket lines will be set up at news member workplaces, and SAG-AFTRA plans to provide placards for members to display on their car windshields to indicate that they work under separate agreements. Additionally, members may have the option to enter or exit their workplace through a “neutral” gate.
SAG merged with AFTRA in 2012, bringing together their respective memberships of broadcast hosts, news reporters, and anchors. Prior to the merger, both unions had jointly negotiated contracts in areas where they had overlapping jurisdiction.
While broadcasters and news personalities are not part of this particular strike, it’s worth noting that they have gone on strike before. In 1967, AFTRA went on strike for 13 days, involving all 18,000 of its members at the time. The impact of the strike was immediately felt by viewers of the evening news, as CBS manager Arnold Zenker filled in for anchor Walter Cronkite when he refused to cross picket lines.
Overall, the SAG-AFTRA strike will have a significant impact on the industry, but news and broadcast members can rest assured that their employment will not be affected.
