Publicists Slam SAG-AFTRA's 'Negativity' Amidst Strike Fallout

Hollywood's publicists, often behind-the-scenes operators, are stepping into the limelight due to a contentious meeting with SAG-AFTRA leadership, including National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. The virtual meeting held on Tuesday was slated to address concerns regarding the impact of dual strikes on talent firms. The publicists expressed their dismay when Crabtree-Ireland apologized for the strike's effects on their businesses while simultaneously acknowledging the resulting "collateral damage" within their industry.

SAG-AFTRA, when contacted by Deadline, refused to comment on the meeting specifics, stating, "We do not comment on private meetings with our allies in this very difficult fight for the respect, dignity and economic equity our members, who are also their clients, demand...The support of our membership and partners throughout the industry is a powerful foundation from which we will ultimately secure a fair and just deal from the studios and streamers."

A senior publicist at a prominent firm shared with Deadline that the SAG-AFTRA leadership's attitude during the meeting was perceived as "negative" and "unsympathetic". The publicists, he explains, are striving to sustain their businesses amidst the strike, and felt undervalued and dismissed by the guild leaders.

Many publicists are calling for the guild to "loosen the stranglehold" around publicity. They contrast SAG-AFTRA's rigid policy prohibiting their 160,000 members from promoting projects with struck companies, with the WGA’s more flexible stance taken later in their strike.

The current strike has led to a hiatus for many actors, creating a vacuum within talent PR rosters. If the strike extends into the fall, many fear some firms may be forced to close, unable to survive the combined impact of the strike and the Covid pandemic.

These concerns prompted the organizing of a private Zoom meeting by a high-ranking representative. However, out of fear and uncertainty, the meeting, scheduled for Monday, was eventually cancelled. This comes amidst a backdrop of confusion and frustration amongst publicists, who feel constrained by regulations despite not being SAG-AFTRA members themselves.

Now, let's move into a lighter tone, with a healthy dose of salty popcorn for the drama unfolding.

It's ironic, isn't it? The people who usually paint pictures in the media to create the best possible public image for their clients are now being thrust into the public eye themselves - and they're not exactly thrilled about it.

Is anyone else picking up on the irony dripping from the statement the guild gave Deadline? I mean, sure, we can nod to the "respect, dignity and economic equality" they're fighting for, but isn’t it the publicists who help create the persona that elevates actors to a stature where they can demand such things?

I sympathize with the publicists feeling the squeeze from the practices of two very different guilds. The WGA, in their own strike, loosens the restrictions on publicity while SAG-AFTRA goes "my way or the highway". Can we get a consistency certificate up in here?

The cancellation of that private Zoom meeting just says it all, doesn't it? It's like a Hollywood thriller with PR reps playing lead roles. The fog of confusion is so thick you’d need a machete, not a press pass, to slice through it.

All jokes aside, this impending rain cloud on the industry’s parade does bring to the forefront the question of "consideration". When does going in for the kill on the negotiation table start to look more like a massacre and less like a fair fight?

In this historic year for Hollywood, it might just be time for SAG-AFTRA to reassess their approach and not leave their PR counterparts feeling like they're trapped in their own Hollywood disaster movie.