It’s been a few years since Bill Adams has worked as an extra. At 85, he doesn’t get called as much as he used to.
But for the last three months, he has commuted to the picket lines from his home in Long Beach about once a week.
“I’m just tired of the multinational greed,” he said, on a break from walking outside the Overland gate at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City on Friday. “That almost goes without saying. That’s what it comes down to.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike is now in its 85th day. The issues remain the same as they were on Day 1 — streaming residuals, the use of artificial intelligence, and increases in minimum rates to keep pace with inflation — among dozens of lesser known concerns.
The heads of four studios have met three times this week at SAG-AFTRA headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard — the first negotiations since the strike began in July. Talks are set to resume on Monday, and both sides appear motivated to get a deal.
“Since we’ve actually finally been invited back to the table, we’ve had a bit more energy,” said Tyler Barnhardt, a strike captain at Amazon.
Barnhardt noted that members of the Writers Guild of America, which ended its 148-day strike last week, continue to turn out in support of the actors.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety