Osas Ighodaro joins SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood

Osas Ighodaro has shown her support for the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Over the weekend, the actress joined the ongoing actors and screenwriters' strike in Hollywood and Manhattan.

Osas took to Instagram to share pictures and the fact that she has been a member of the union since 2006.

The SAG part stands for Screen Actors Guild, while AFTRA stands for American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The unions represent approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists, and radio personalities.

Members of both unions have joined the ongoing writers' strike for the first time in more than 60 years. This is Hollywood's first industry-wide shutdown since 1960 when writers and actors last went on strike at the same time.

Actors are joining the writers who have been walking the picket lines for over 70 days to fight for better pay and protection in the face of streaming and the challenges it presents.

Writers picket in front of Netflix on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on May 2, 2023, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) goes on strike.FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Business Insider USA

So far, these issues include changes to residual payments and the potential use of artificial intelligence that would affect jobs.

Announcing the strike on July 13, 2023, Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, noted that “the entire business model has been changed", adding, "This is a moment in history — a moment of truth. At some point, you have to say, ‘No, we’re not going to take this anymore.’”

In the past, the 2007 strike by screenwriters lasted 100 days, while the 1980 strike by actors lasted for over three months.

For now, it's unclear how long this particular strike will last. So far, a vast majority of TV and film productions have been forced to pause or completely shut down. With actors joining the strike, we can expect more disruption.