Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Says SAG-AFTRA Hasn’t Heard From AMPTP But Hopes WGA “Can Make Real Progress” In Talks

deadline.com:

SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is hopeful that Friday’s meeting between the Writers Guild and the AMPTP helps push the needle forward as the actors await their turn to get back to the bargaining table. “No, we haven’t heard from the AMPTP, but we have heard that they have a second meeting with the Writers Guild which is very encouraging,” he told Deadline. “I hope that means that there will be some progress and maybe some momentum that will get started, but we have not had any outreach from the AMPTP at this point.” “The writers have been on strike for more than 100 days so I certainly have no problem with the AMPTP wanting to talk to them [first], and I hope that they can make real progress,” he added. “So we’re in constant coordination with the Writers Guild and we are standing in full solidarity with each other.

So I’m not at all worried about who the AMPTP talks to first.” Following the WGA’s 100-day strike milestone on Wednesday, Crabtree-Ireland explained why it’s been so important for SAG-AFTRA to be side-by-side with writers since day one.

When the actors guild declared it was on strike on day 73 of the WGA strike, it helped reinvigorate sunburned picketers who needed a little boost. “Solidarity is so powerful and I know that our members are buoyed by the Writers Guild being out here together with us working together and putting on picket lines together like we’re doing [in L.A.] and in New York,” he said. “It’s something that strengthens both unions’ efforts, and I know our members helped encourage the writers when we came out on our first day.

We’ve been out here since day one of the writers strike, and we’re all in this together to ultimately win a fair deal.” Additionally,