Breaking Down the 2023 Actor and Writer Strikes

Forget the Avengers, the writers and the actors are assembling.

After the Writers Guild of America officially went on strike May 2 following six weeks of failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is poised to join the picket line.

Despite an 11th hour extension, the union did not reach a deal with AMPTP when the contract expired on July 12, leading the union to vote unanimously to recommend the actors to strike against the film and television industry for the first time since 1980. 

"SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addresse…