SAG-AFTRA Says ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Appearances Are Fine, Don’t Run Afoul of Its Strike – Hollywood Reporter

‘Dancing With the Stars,’ from left: Val Chmerkovskiy, Gabby Windey, ‘Premiere Night Party’

Eric McCandless/Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection

As the Writers Guild of America continues to picket Dancing With the Stars rehearsals, SAG-AFTRA is saying its members on the production aren’t running afoul of any of its strike rules.

“Our members appearing on Dancing with the Stars are working under the Network Code agreement, which is a non-struck contract. They are required to go to work, are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations,” the performers’ union — which has been on strike against major studios and streamers for months over a separate, unresolved film and TV contract — said in a statement on Thursday. “The program is a SAG-AFTRA non-dramatic production under a separate agreement that is not subject to the union’s strike order.”

The union also offered some context on members’ contractual obligations to the show. The “majority” of SAG-AFTRA members on the show, the union said, signed their deals prior to the strike. The union added that many members have option agreements that necessitate that they appear on the show if the producer exercises the option, “which the producer has done.” And it continued that SAG-AFTRA has a “no-strike” clause in its collective bargaining agreement, which means members working under that contract cannot strike covered projects during the term of the deal.

“By not showing up to work, our performers can be held in breach of contract and the Union is prohibited from advising them not to work,” the union said.

The statement arrives just hours after news broke that network ABC may delay the return of the competition show after striking Writers Guild of America members have picketed rehearsals in recent days. The show, which is a WGA signatory, is returning without its typical WGA writer.

On Thursday, Dancing With the Stars cast member Matt Walsh (Veep), a member of both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, announced that he was putting a halt to his involvement in the series “until an agreement is made with the [Writers Guild of America].” Added Walsh, “I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement.  This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA, that it is considered struck work I walked out of my rehearsal.”

Dancing With the Stars, which had initially been targeting a Sept. 26 premiere date for its 32nd season, has been hit with WGA pickets during rehearsals since Wednesday. Striking writers have targeted stars that are appearing on this 32nd season, including Walsh, in their signs. The cast for the latest season includes Mira Sorvino, Alyson Hannigan, Mauricio Umansky, Jason Mraz and Xochitl Gomez.

The union’s effort with Dancing With the Stars is similar to its successful pressure campaign against WGA-signatory talk shows that attempted to return amid the strike. After WGA pickets erupted in front of the The Drew Barrymore Show set in New York and The Talk set in Studio City, both shows paused their scheduled returns, in addition to The Jennifer Hudson Show and Real Time With Bill Maher. (Maher, however, specifically said he was postponing his show’s resumption now that the WGA and the AMPTP are back at the negotiating table.)

Now, SAG-AFTRA appears to be looking to shield its participating members on Dancing With the Stars from criticism. In its statement’s conclusion, the union noted that it is fighting against AMPTP member companies during its own strike, “not members who are required to go to work every day under other union contracts or personal service agreements.” The union added, “We stand with our union siblings across the industry as we also recognize our obligations under federal labor law.”