00:00 SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher is saying that George Clooney's proposal to help end
00:04 the actors' strike will sadly not work as it will not impact the contract they're currently
00:08 striking over.
00:10 Earlier this week, Clooney and a group of other A-list actors met with SAG-AFTRA's leadership
00:14 with a proposal to remove the cap on membership dues for high-earning members to help bridge
00:20 the gap between what SAG-AFTRA is seeking in 2023 negotiations and what the studios
00:25 and streamers are willing to give.
00:27 Meaning that major stars like Clooney would pay more in dues than is currently required.
00:32 The cap is currently at $1 million in earnings.
00:34 The proposal also seeks to get lower-income members paid in residuals before higher-income
00:39 members.
00:40 Drescher addressed his plan in an Instagram post.
00:43 "I also want to thank George Clooney for organizing the suggestion that we raise the, take the
00:55 caps off of the dues so that the highest paid members can contribute more."
01:02 Drescher explained that the proposal wouldn't work legally due to the basis of the union's
01:06 contract.
01:07 "We are a federally regulated labor union and the only contributions that can go into
01:11 our pension and health funds must be from the employer, so what we are fighting for
01:15 in terms of benefits has to remain in this contract."
01:19 The talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are currently stalled over issues such as
01:23 AI and the union's streaming viewership proposal, which attempts to charge streaming services
01:28 57 cents per subscriber to create a pool of funds that could be distributed to members
01:33 whose work appears on these services.
01:36 For much more on this story, head to THR.com.
01:39 And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter
01:43 News.
01:43 (whooshing)
01:46 (upbeat music)
Comments