LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The SAG-AFTRA has joined the WGA on the picketing line and together they have formed a formidable force to reckon with. While social media influencers work independently of both the organizations, their overlapping work often brings them in contact with each other. However, a new guideline by the SAG-AFTRA created further confusion regarding the already blurred position of influencers in the entertainment sector.
Amidst the ongoing strike, SAG-AFTRA has encouraged influencers and online content creators to abstain from promoting films and TV series even if they were not part of the guild. The influencer-specific guidelines came on the heels of the strike when confusion was rising among the social media stars regarding how they could support the strike without hampering their existing contracts.
Are influencers part of the SAG-AFTRA strike?
While some social media influencers are part of the SAG-AFTRA after the organization extended their membership to digital content creators in 2021, many internet personalities are not. However, SAG-AFTRA has encouraged everyone to support the strike despite their membership status. It has also insinuated that if any non-member influencer continues to take up new projects with the studios and streamers while the members were striking, they may be barred from gaining future membership in the guild. These influencers also could reportedly be blacklisted by the guild.
Some influencers have already shown solidarity with the striking unions and said they would stop working. Others initially said they would continue to take up new deals and have been subject to backlash since.
SAG-AFTRA said in its guidelines that influencers should “fulfill their work obligation” on projects they have already signed contracts for. However, they have been discouraged from taking up new projects of promoting films and shows. The union said inn its statement, as quoted by NBC News, “Any non-member seeking future membership in SAG-AFTRA who performs covered work or services for a struck company during the strike will not be admitted into membership in SAG-AFTRA.”
The influencers were also discouraged to post content even as a fan. “Influencers should refrain from posting on social media about any struck work regardless of whether they are posting organically or in a paid capacity,” the organization stated, as per Sagaftrastrike.org.
However, social media influencers were allowed to continued with their brand-partnership jobs. “Influencers may still pursue commercial work including influencer-generated brand deals covered by the SAG-AFTRA Influencer Agreement and/or Influencer Waiver,” the organization's statement further added.
'I stand with SAGAFTRA'
As per NBC, the confusion regarding the position of the digital content creators in the strike arose after a TikTok star, Juju Green, who goes by the name Straw_Hat_Goofy, posted a video stating he planned to continue to work as he was non-union. Green said in a video, “Here’s how the strike will be affecting my content. The answer is: very little,” before adding, “I am not an actor, nor am I a writer. Therefore my job doesn’t overlap with those that the writers and actors can’t do during the strike.”
Green’s video caused an uproar, after which he removed the video and apologized saying that at the time when he made the video, information from the unions was limited. As per NBC, he said, “I removed that skit and apologized for any hurt it caused. Once clear official information was released from SAG, I complied with all regulations and will not be taking any new work from struck companies until the strike is resolved and the union gets a fair deal. I stand with SAGAFTRA.”
