George Clooney and Other Actors Propose: In a virtual meeting with SAG-AFTRA union leadership, George Clooney, Tyler Perry, and other A-list actors have presented a significant proposal to help bring an end to the prolonged actors’ strike. The proposal includes removing the existing $1 million cap on membership dues, aiming to address the gap in contract negotiations with major studios.
Prominent and high-earning members, including Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, joined Clooney and Perry in the meeting with union leaders Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Clooney, speaking to Deadline, expressed the collective desire among top earners to contribute to the solution. He shared, “A lot of the top earners want to be part of the solution. We’ve offered to remove the cap on dues, which would bring over $50 million to the union annually. Well over $150 million over the next three years. We think it’s fair for us to pay more into the union.”
As part of the proposal, a bottom-up residual structure is suggested, with the top of the call sheet being the last to collect residuals, not the first. The proposed changes aim to contribute significantly more in membership fees from top earners, boosting the union’s funding for health benefits.
Fran Drescher, President of SAG-AFTRA, acknowledged the generosity of the offer but clarified its legal limitations. “We are a federally regulated labor union, and the only contributions that can go into our pension and health funds must be from the employer. So what we are fighting for in terms of benefits has to remain in this contract,” she explained in a video shared on Instagram.
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The proposal follows the breakdown of contract negotiations on October 11, with studios suspending discussions due to a lack of progress. The strike, ongoing since July 14, revolves around negotiations on revenue sharing and policies related to the use of artificial intelligence, among other issues.