Posted in: Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: amptp, comic con, DGA, opinion, SAG-AFTRA, sdcc, wga, writers' strike

SDCC & SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP: So Many Letters, Still So Few Answers

While today should bring some clarity to the SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP negotiations, here are how three options could impact & have impacted SDCC 2023.

So today's the day… or maybe it isn't. As this is being written, the WGA/AMPTP writers' strike continues to roll on, with no signs of negotiations resuming anytime soon. And then there's the matter of where things stand with SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP – and that's where things are still as blurry as ever. Last night, both sides agreed to a federal mediator to help reach a new three-year agreement. But SAG-AFTRA added in its statement that "we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement," with the negotiating deadline remaining set for Wednesday, July 12, at 11:59:59 pm PT. And that leads us to that very day – which also marks one week before San Diego Comic-Con's (SDCC) "Preview Night" – the kickoff to the four-day pop culture bonanza. Why's that important? Because there are a large number of various stakeholders still wondering what the event will end up looking like. So from that perspective, let's look at the options…

SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP Reach a Tentative Deal: Unless specific instructions are handed down, it would seem that planning would revert back to whatever was in play respective to the writers' strike. We know that some actors, directors, etc., were planning to skip SDCC out of respect for the writers, so that would still create some question marks. That said, this would still be the preferred "happy ending" for everyone involved.

SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP Don't Reach a Tentative Deal (with No Extension): That means SAG-AFTRA goes on strike – and the comics industry gets a chance to see what the "good old days" of SDCC were like. Because it's not just Hall H that gets impacted – you're going to have issues with convention floor activities, at least some autograph-signing sessions, some activations that were meant to have some "star" presence at them, and more. In addition, the ripple effect could include those other unions looking to respect the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and not cross virtual picket lines. Essentially, what we would have would be a four-day visual reminder of how important labor issues impact the pop culture landscape – an odd mix of both live and virtual events harkening back to the COVID days.

SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP Agree to Federal Mediator's Negotiation Extension: My gut feeling – and this could be moot by the time you read this – is that SAG-AFTRA agreed to a federal mediator but didn't change the deadline because it wants that being left to the mediator. Needing time to get up-to-speed, more time would seem like a no-brainer – but if it's the feds requesting it, then SAG-AFTRA gets to save face by not changing it themselves but showing a willingness to work with the mediator. So if we do get an extension – how long? I could see two weeks – which would get us through SDCC. But that doesn't necessarily mean that things default to the "SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP Reach a Tentative Deal" option because there is definitely some bad blood out there going into that federal mediator agreement. But for now? The waiting game continues… here's hoping for some clarity sooner rather than later…

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