Disney boss Bob Iger complains actors’ union is threatening to join writers strike at ‘worst time’

CEO’s complaints came hours before actors’ union Sag-aftra approved a strike that Iger had earlier said ‘will have a very, very damaging effect on the business’

Disney Results (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Hours before the actors’ union formally approved its members to join the writers’ strike, Disney chief Bob Iger had spoken out against the “very disturbing” potential.

Speaking to CNBC’s David Faber at the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho on Thursday (13 July), the CEO, 72, addressed Sag-aftra’s strike, complaining that its timing is the “worst in the world” – as it would effectively shut down Hollywood.

“I understand any labour organisation’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver,” Iger said at the time.

“We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the directors guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business. We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors. There’s a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic.

“This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” he added. “And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”

Iger’s comments came hours before Sag-aftra’s national board approved its membership of 160,000 TV and film actors to begin striking on Thursday at midnight, joining screenwriters who’ve been picketing since May – a historic move which will effectively shut down Hollywood, which hasn’t happened in over 60 years.

The decision came hours after contract negotiations with companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Warner Bros, failed to pass before the Wednesday (12 July) midnight deadline.

Hollywood Strikes (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The acting union’s demands are similar to those of its counterpart, the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Among the former’s chief demands include increased wages, higher streaming residuals and improved working conditions.

“Union members should withhold their labour until a fair contract can be achieved,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of Sag-aftra said during a Thursday press conference. “They have left us with no alternative.”

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In June, over 1,000 actors, including several-well known celebrities, namely Meryl Streep, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lawrence, Constance Wu and Ben Stiller, signed a letter to guild leadership, declaring that they were “prepared to strike”.

Follow along here for real-time updates on Sag-aftra’s imminent strike.