2020 has been a rollercoaster year for the film, TV, and stage arts, that’s for certain. Not only have we seen strikes and conflicts from 2019 roll into the 2020 year, most notably the WGA-ATA strike, but we’ve also seen industry-wide shakeups with the Coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps it was inevitable that there would be a rise in union clashes along with the drastically altered work environments and lean pickings on offer. As one of the top entertainment law firms Los Angeles has, we’re always here to keep you in the loop- so here’s what you need to know about this latest conflict to rock the industry. 

SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity Association find themselves locked in a territorial battle over the filming of live theatre. For many years now, SAG-AFTRA has had jurisdiction over such recorded performances, but have offered AEA a waiver intended to help fellow actors while live-action theatre is shut down. AEA, however, has rejected the offer.

Their executive director, Mary McColl, is on record explaining the move. AEA believes this is an attempt by SAG-AFTRA to ‘claim jurisdiction in Equity workplaces.’ Far from the offered olive-branch of assistance, AEA sees this as an attempt to disrupt solidarity in the workplace, and damage employer-actor relationships, with knock-on effects to the workers. 

The matter is pretty complex, and there’s more to the story than initially meets the eye- something we will be looking at in greater depth shortly. However, with the conflict currently sitting in something of a stalemate, it’s definitely a situation that entertainment law firms San Francisco-wide are going to want to keep a careful eye on. As always, BLAKE & WANG P.A will be here with all the inside information you need to stay on top of the entertainment world happenings.