Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter join Philadelphia rally

Striking screenwriters and actors held rallies in Philadelphia and Chicago on Thursday as the labour dispute that has halted Hollywood spreads to more cities.

The Philadelphia rally at Love Park drew actors Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter, stars of the hit Philly-set TV show Abbott Elementary. “Enough is enough and we demand more,” said Ralph. Actors David Morse and Brian Anthony Wilson also attended.

In Chicago, hundreds of strikers – many wearing black SAG T-shirts – marched and chanted at Millennium Park. “We’re union/United/Never be divided.”

While Los Angeles and New York are the epicentres of strike actions, there are dozens of mid-size and small locales across the country representing performers and writers.

Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted unanimously last week to start striking, joining the Writers Guild of America who walked out on May 2.

Key issues for both unions include residual payments, which have been nearly wiped out by the switch to the streaming system, and the unpaid use of their work and likeness by artificial intelligence avatars.