Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512402
sagaftra.org | Fall/Winter 2023 | SAG-AFTRA 29 Latinas Acting Up could always be counted on to liven up every picket line they attended. Led by Lisa Vidal and Diana- Maria Riva, the group brought flags, music, megaphones and plenty of dance moves. Union solidarity continued to strengthen throughout the season, with multiple unions joining the ranks. "The companies didn't know what they did when they brought us out here together," said Warner Bros. strike captain Thomasina Gross. "And they're just going to see that we're so much stronger for it." Misogyny played an unfortunate role in the AMPTP's manipulation tactics, as they attempted to discredit SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and sow division among the SAG-AFTRA membership. "I don't have to emulate masculine energy in order to be a good leader," Drescher told delegates at the 2023 SAG-AFTRA National Convention. The re-elected president went on to say in an L.A. Times interview, "I will not cave." Drescher's commitment to embodying her truth rallied further public support for the strike. A popular Saturday Night Live sketch that aired prior to Halloween showed Sarah Sherman dressed as Drescher, using a hilarious Kit Kat metaphor to explain to trick-or-treaters what negotiating with the studios has been like. Though the AMPTP walked away from the table Oct. 11 after initially resuming bargaining on Oct. 2, talks resumed once more on Oct. 24, finally concluding Nov. 8 with the achievement of a tentative agreement. ● STRIKE continued from page 27 DEREK FRENCH/SHUTTERSTOCK FOR SAG-AFTRA Left, Ellen Barkin; Vice President, New York and New York Local President Ezra Knight; and Oscar Isaac join the picket lines in New York. Above, At the Performers with Disabilities Picket at Disney, Alan Toy shows his residual check of less than a dollar for his performance in Annie Live!