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Transcription
The strikes between studios and unions are mainly due to disagreements over residuals, which are ongoing payments for work on contracts. With the rise of online platforms, actors and writers are not receiving compensation for their work being streamed. Residuals are especially important for background actors, as they provide essential income for things like health insurance. The fight for residuals is about ensuring everyone in the creative process can access necessary benefits. It's a big deal for the entire workforce. Although the strikes are a culmination of an umbrella of problems between the studios and unions, residuals have and will continue to be the forefront of disagreement. So what are residuals? Well, they're the ongoing payments that both members and non-members receive for their work on SAG-AFTRA and WGA contracts, extending beyond a project's original platform. Picture this. The film hits theaters and the principal performers cash in on residuals from DVD and digital sales, TV reruns, and of course, streaming services. Now here's the problem. Even though streaming has been around for a while, the last decade has seen a massive shift to online platforms, and with some studios dropping projects both in theaters and online simultaneously, actors and writers are starting to feel the pinch of missing compensation. Aisha Tyler recently shared to Variety that her show, whose line is it anyway, is double and triple and quadruple pumped in the United States and maybe 50 countries, but she's not seeing any residuals. Expressing the frustration for herself and co-workers, she states, It's theft. We generate all of the creative output on that show. We're the writers, we're the performers, and we do everything, and we don't get compensated for it. Now, here's the burning question. If actors and writers are already getting paid for their time on set and in the writers' room, why the big fuss about residuals? Well, unlike Hollywood heavyweights like Tom Cruise or Meryl Streep, who swim in million dollar bonuses, residual checks are the lifeblood for background actors. These envelopes aren't just pieces of paper, they're what puts food on the table and keeps the light on. The lack of such income can mean the loss of health insurance provided by the state, in which workers are required to earn a minimum of $27,000 annually to qualify for coverage. Without these residual checks, the vast majority don't qualify. The fight for residuals isn't just about the names and earning the big bucks. It's about ensuring that everyone in the creative process can access essential benefits to uphold their quality of life. The bottom line, it's a huge deal, and a vital issue for the entire workforce.
