More than 300 people turned out for a protest Wednesday in Albuquerque organized by The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union. They included members of the Writers Guild of America, who are also on strike, as well as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Background Actors Association of New Mexico who are not on strike but are supporting their colleagues who are. The action took place in front of Netflix North America’s studios.
It was already well on its way to 100 degrees when union members gathered at 8:30 a.m. Actor Kate Begeron was handing out signs.
“This is all us working for the future of our career and trying to keep our career a sustainable career that we can actually make a living,” she said.
The film and television industry in New Mexico has seen huge growth spurred by generous tax incentives. Productions spent more than $2 billion over the last three years.
Those funds are not necessarily reaching people like actor Sanford Kelley. You must make at least $26,000 a year to qualify for health insurance with SAG-AFTRA. But Kelley says many actors make far less.
“Most of the people I know are one check away from being on the streets,” he said.
Abby Townsend has dreamed of acting her entire life, but she says changes in the industry with streaming and AI technology are making that unsustainable.
“You need art that’s done by people, art that means something. Art that’s done by a robot and stolen from other artists is just, it's criminal and it’s not going to mean anything of significance ever,” she said.
Townsend acted in Stranger Things last year but never saw any residuals, a common complaint from writers and actors alike. Residuals are long-term payments performers get when films or shows are re-aired after initial release.
Actor Wes Studi was at the protest and says he recently got a residual check from the one streaming project he’s worked on, Hulu’s series “Reservation Dogs.” Grand total? Three cents. It’s a far cry from earlier decades.
“The ones that I received in the 80s and 90s are absolutely amazing in terms of the amounts compared to what we are offered from streaming,” said Studi.
With no negotiations on the table, union members say they’re ready to wait as long as necessary for the rights they’re seeking.