SAG-AFTRA hits back at offshoring jobs remarks by Sony boss: “cynical attempt to manipulate workers”

SAG-AFTRA AFTRA’s top negotiator has hit back at remarks by outgoing Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra that the length of last year’s Hollywood strikes and new contract terms have pushed production out of the United States.

“Threatening the offshoring of American jobs is a cynical attempt to manipulate workers while masking the industry’s own business failures,” said the Guild’s national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

“It is a false narrative that American workers have to choose between fair wages and contracts and losing their jobs. Our members won’t be fooled.”

Crabtree-Ireland said, “It’s somewhat surprising that Tony Vinciquerra didn’t learn last year’s lesson about how wrong it is for multi-millionaire CEOs on lavish trips to criticize industry workers who want salaries that keep up with inflation.

“Let’s be clear: This is a highly compensated CEO at a major studio saying that workers have too many contract protections and their wages are too high, and that he and others intend to exploit lower wages and lesser contract terms wherever in the world they can find them.”

Vinciquerra made his comments during a keynote at Mipcom, telling an industry audience in Cannes, “We tried to talk to the unions about what we thought would happen and now it’s happening – it is pushing production out of the US.”

The CEO, who is stepping down in January, noted that international incentives have drawn shoots away from the United States to countries where costs are lower.

The United Kingdom is aiming to bolster its world-class production credentials with the Independent Film Tax Credit for lower budget shoots, which the BFI is optimistic will be ratified by the new Labour government.

Eastern Europe, Australia, parts of South America and, increasingly, regions across Asia offer competitive alternatives to the United States.

Vinciquerra also expressed concern over California, long the symbolic home of the film industry, and said while the state continues to attract shoots, high costs have reduced the number of big budget film productions.

Many American cities and states with cheaper cost bases and aggressive incentives offer attractive alternatives to California and Los Angeles. A report by FilmLA issued last week said that in light of a 5% year-on-year summer season slump in the Greater Los Angeles area, the next three months will “make of break” the year for the metropolitan area in terms of production levels.

Last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike lasted 118 days and ran from July 14 to November 9 before the Guild agreed new terms. The Writers Guild of America work stoppage ran for 148 days, from May 2 to September 27.

At time of writing Screen had not heard back from the Writers Guild for a comment.

Crabtree-Ireland’s full statement appears below.