Posted in: Disney, Disney+, Movies, streaming, TV | Tagged: bob iger, disney, Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA, wga

SAG-AFTRA: Fran Drescher to Disney: "Lock" Bob Iger "Behind Doors"

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher responded to Disney CEO Bob Iger's "not realistic" comment - and offered Disney some free advice.

Hours before the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) National Board authorized a strike after negotiations on a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) fell apart, Bob Iger shared his thoughts on what went down to David Faber during the Thursday morning edition of CNBC's Squawk Box from Idaho's Sun Valley Conference. And let's just say that they were not well received by either SAG-AFTRA & Writers Guild of America (WGA), with Iger claiming that the unions' points are "just not realistic" (more on that below). Now, with the strike officially underway and picket lines in place, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher isn't mincing words when it comes to her thoughts on what Iger had to say – and what Disney should do to him.

"I found them terribly repugnant and out of touch. Positively tone deaf. I don't think it served him well. If I were that company, I would lock him behind doors and never let him talk to anybody about this because it's so obvious that he has no clue as to what is really happening on the ground with hard-working people that don't make anywhere near the salary he is making. High seven figures, eight figures, this is crazy money that they make, and they don't care if they're land barons of a medieval time," Drescher shared during an interview with Variety – which you can check out below:

"It's very disturbing to me. We've talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we're facing; the recovery from COVID, which is ongoing, it's not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption," Iger offered to Faber. "I understand any labor organization'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. 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. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive."

Iger went on to say that although he understands the unions looking for "as much as they possibly can in compensation for their people," he believes that writers and actors must "be realistic about the business environment, and what this business can deliver." The Disney CEO continued, "It will have a very, very damaging effect on the whole business, and unfortunately, there's huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services, and I could go on and on. It will affect the economy of different regions, even because of the sheer size of the business. It's a shame; it is really a shame."

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