>>> BACK NOW WITH AN UPDATE ON THE STRIKE THAT MANY OF US HAVE BEEN WATCHING CLOSELY. FOR THREE WEEKS NOW, THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS OVER 160,000 ACTORS HAS BEEN ON THE PICKET LINE. >> WE DO WANT TO NOTE COMCAST, THE CORPORATION THAT OWNS OUR PARENT COMPANY, NBC UNIVERSAL, IS ONE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES REPRESENTED BY THE ALLIANCE OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS. HERE WITH THE VERY LATEST ON WHERE THINGS STAND, ACTOR, WRITER AND PRESIDENT OF SAG AFTRA, FRAN DRESCHER. >> THANKS FOR COMING BACK. >> BY OUR COUNT, TODAY MARKS THE 14th FULL DAY OF THE STRIKE. FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE, BRING US UP TO SPEED. HOW DID YOU GET HERE? >> WELL, WE GOT HERE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T MAKE A DEAL ON BEHALF OF THE WORKERS OF OUR UNION. 86% OF THEM WHO CAN'T MAKE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. SO, REALLY, THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE WORKING PEOPLE, JUST TRYING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND PAY THEIR RENT. AND WE COULDN'T MAKE A DEAL ON THEIR BEHALF. >> HAS THERE BEEN ANY MOVEMENT AT ALL? >> NOT SINCE THE STRIKE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE PUNISHING US OR WHAT. WE GAVE THEM AN EXTENSION TO TRY TO COME TO A MEETING OF THE MINDS TO ALERT A STRIKE, BUT NOTHING REALLY CAME OUT OF THAT. >> EVERYBODY KEEPS ASKING ME, CAN YOU SAY WHAT IS THE HOT BUTTON ISSUE? WHAT DOES IT COME DOWN TO? >> WE NEED PROTECTIONS AGAINST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. WE NEED THE WORKING PERSON TO BE RESPECTED AND HONORED FOR THEIR MASSIVE CONTRIBUTION. AND WE NEED WHAT IS CONSIDERED IN OUR INDUSTRY MINIMUM WAGE FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORKERS TO REFLECT THE INFLATION. WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING US IN REAL MONEY IS LESS THAN 2020, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT THAT THROUGH 2026? IT'S OUTRAGEOUS. AND THE BUSINESS MODEL CHANGED, AND THEY'RE UNWILLING TO CHANGE THE CRIMINAL. >> BUSINESS MODEL MEANING STREAMING AND A.I.? >> YES. THAT'S HUGE. AND WE'RE INDUSTRYING TO FIX A CONTRACT FORGED IN 1960. >> SO ARE THE PARTIES NOT EVEN SPEAKING RIGHT NOW? >> FROM THE MINUTE WE SAID WE'RE ON STRIKE NOW AFTER THE EXTENSION RAN OUT, WE ARE SAID WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATING. LET'S KEEP TALKING. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID NO. >> WELL, IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, YOU HAD THIS INTERIM AGREEMENT, WHICH YOU GOT SOME CRITICISM FOR IT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS INDEPENDENT FILMS TO CONTINUE PRODUCTION. THEY ARE BOUND BY WHATEVER ENDS UP BEING THE DEAL. SO WHY THE INTERIM AGREEMENT SO IMPORTANT AND WHY IS THERE ALL THIS KIND OF NEGATIVITY TOWARD IT? >> WELL, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING BETTER IN THAT REGARD. THIS IS A VERY SMART AND STRATEGIC MOVE ON BEHALF OF SAG-AFTRA AND INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE FULLY VETTED AND HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MEMBERS CAN APPLY WITH AN INTERIM AGREEMENT. IF THEY AGREE TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THE TABLE AT THE POINT THAT WE WENT ON STRIKE, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR JOURNEYMEN PERFORMERS AND CREW WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK, TO PAY THEIR BILLS, AND THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE MAKING MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE EVER MADE BEFORE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WERE AT IN THE NEGOTIATION. AND AS LONG AS THOSE PEOPLE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK, THEN WE CAN HOLD FIRM ON OUR RESULT WITH THE AMPTP, WHO WILL BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD IF THEY DON'T COME BACK TO THE TABLE. >> SO REALISTICALLY, DO YOU SEE THIS CONTINUING ON FOR ANOTHER COUPLE WEEKS, ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS? I MEAN, HOW LONG WILL THIS GO ON? >> WELL, I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL. WE HAVE FINANCIALLY PREPARED OURSELVES FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. AND WE'RE REALLY IN IT TO WIN IT. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THE INTERIM AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS THE JOURNEYMAN ACTOR, PERFORMER AND CREW TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THIS. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY'RE HONORING OUR, YOU KNOW, PROPOSALS. AND THAT MOVES THAT THEY'RE NOT UNREALISTIC. THEY'RE REASONABLE, AND THEY'RE FAIR. >> FRAN, IS IT TRUE -- I READ THIS -- THAT THE AVERAGE SAG ACTOR MEMBER MAKES $27,000 A YEAR? >> YOU KNOW, THE 86% OF THEM CAN'T EVEN MEET THE THRESHOLD, WHICH IS JUST BELOW $27,000 A YEAR FOR THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? THESE ARE HARD WORKING PEOPLE. THEY WANT THE SAME THING FOR THEIR CHILDREN THAT ALL OF THOSE CEOs THAT ARE MAKING LARGE FORTUNES WANT FOR THEIR CHILDREN. >> WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE ALLIANCE FOR MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS FOR COMMENT. THEY RESPONDED, QUOTE, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO FINDING A PATH TO MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL DEALS. >> I WAS WONDERI
