The union that represents Hollywood actors, SAG-AFTRA, has formally called for a strike. Beginning Friday morning, all members must cease all work with struck companies (Universal Television, Walt Disney Pictures, Amazon Studios LLC, etc). Since the guild has been accepting content creators as members since 2021, they also have a set of strike rules to follow.
What can content creators do and can’t do during the strike?
According to SAG-AFTRA’s influencer FAQ, content creators should not accept work or promotion from struck companies. They should also refrain from posting about the struck work on their social media accounts, regardless if they are paid to do so or just want to post about how much they like a movie/series under struck companies.
Content creators also cannot participate in conventions like Comic-Con or attend red premier events on behalf of the companies the union is striking against. However, they may participate in the convention in ways, as per the FAQ, “wholly independent of characters from struck work or sponsorship by struck companies.”
If content creators have existing contracts with struck companies, they are allowed to fulfill their obligation. However, SAG-AFTRA says they aren’t allowed to extend the contracts or do further work. Content creators are also allowed to do brand deals as long as they are covered by SAG-AFTRA Influencer Agreement. However, if it’s a cross-promotional campaign with a struck employer, the creator should reach out to Influencer@sagaftra.org for an assessment.
For those influencers or content creators who are not members of the union but are seeking to apply in the future, they won’t be given membership if they perform “covered work or services for a struck company during the strike.”
If you are an influencer, you can support the union by showing solidarity and using #SAGAFTRAstrike and #SAGAFTRAstrong on your social media platforms.