Publicists Call For SAG-AFTRA To “Loosen Stranglehold” On Promotion Rules

deadline.com:

While publicists are for the most part disinclined to make themselves the story, they’re making their voices heard now, coming out of the woodworks to address their thorny meeting with SAG-AFTRA leadership earlier this week.

Tuesday’s Zoom meeting with guild leaders, including National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, was called to address questions as to how talent firms might navigate the devastation of dual strikes.

Many were particularly outraged when Crabtree-Ireland apologized for the impact of the strike on their businesses, while at the same time admitting that the labor fallout will lead to “collateral damage” for people in the industry like themselves.

One senior publicist at a premier firm told told Deadline today that the tone of SAG-AFTRA leadership came across as “negative” and “unsympathetic” to PR professionals, who are simply trying to keep the lights on.