Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1506201
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and WGA West President Meredith Stiehm outside Paramount Pictures. SUMMER OF SOLIDARITY T he spring and summer of 2023 may go down in history as a period of unprecedented labor action across the nation. A remarkable surge in work stoppages represented a continuation of labor activity that began in 2021, and the wave of labor action impacted all industries, from education to transportation to entertainment. According to a Gallup poll, pro-union sentiment is higher than it's been since 1965, with 71% of respondents saying they approve of labor unions. Those in entertainment and media saw a solidarity among workers that the industry hadn't experienced in generations. Social media erupted with trending memes and encouragement in the lead-up to the WGA strike, which began on May 2. Throughout the next several weeks, picket lines would become increasingly festive, and SAG-AFTRA members — along with those from sister unions IATSE and the Teamsters — marched alongside striking writers. When SAG-AFTRA members voted in support of their own strike authorization, with nearly 98% of voting members supporting the referendum, a new wave of enthusiasm spread through the movement. The tensions between employers and labor highlight the disparity many see when it comes to corporate profits and worker compensation. With the list of pivotal negotiations and striking unions growing longer every day, multiple media outlets declared it would be a "hot labor summer." SAG-AFTRA members join in solidarity with UPS Teamsters at a rally on July 19. 28 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2023 | sagaftra.org