Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Hollywood Union Demands Are “Just Not Realistic”: “It Will Have A Very Damaging Effect On The Whole Business”

Well, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav already put his foot in his mouth responding to the WGA writers’ strike, so now it’s Bob Iger‘s turn. New strike, new CEO showing out of touch with reality he is, right? IndieWire reports that the Disney CEO commented about the WGA strike while on CNBC‘s “Squawk Box” Thursday morning, from the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. And Iger isn’t happy about the past two months of union demands and its effects on the industry.

READ MORE: Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Disney Plans To Make Less Marvel & ‘Star Wars’ Content After So Many Disney+ Shows “Diluted Focus And Attention”

“It’s very disturbing to me,” Iger about the ongoing WGA strike and SAG-AFTRA’s new one that started earlier today. “We’ve talked about disruptive forces on this business and all the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID, which is ongoing. It’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption.” Easy for Mr. Iger to say, after he lands his private jet at Sun Valley, basically a summer camp for execs, CEOs, and billionaires to pal around with one another. So let’s leave it to the reader to decide who’s the better arbiter of reality here: the man who made $54 million the past two years, after being retired for the 11 months prior to getting rehired, or the various workers striking in solidarity desperate for a living wage.

But Iger stressed his respect for the ongoing strikes. “I understand any labor organization’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation and be compensated fairly based on the value that they deliver,” he continued. “We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal with the Directors Guild that reflects the value that the directors contribute to this great business. We wanted to do the same thing with the writers, and we’d like to do the same thing with the actors. There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic. And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.” As for how the striking workers are being unrealistic, Iger refused to comment. “I can’t answer that question,” he said.

“Again, I respect their right and their desire to get as much as they possibly can in compensation for their people,” Iger went on. “I completely respect that. I’ve been around long enough to understand that dynamic and to appreciate it. But you also have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver. It is and has been a great business for all of these people and it will continue to be even through disruptive times. But being realistic is imperative here.”

So what does “being realistic” entail for Iger? Again, he refused to answer that question, but he looks ahead to “huge collateral damage in the industry” if the strikes continue unabated. “It will have a very, very damaging affect on the whole business,” stressed Iger, “and unfortunately, there’s huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services, and I could go on and on. It will affect the economy of different regions, even, because of the sheer size of the business. It’s a shame, it is really a shame.”

Iger has since extended his contract at Disney to 2026, with various bonuses attached. The once-retired CEO returned to Disney in November 2022 after the company suffered $1.5 billion in losses under the leadership of his successor Bob Chapek. Before Chapek became CEO, Iger led the company from 2005 to 2020. Since Iger came back, his main mission has been cutting costs for Disney, including 7000 layoffs and dismantling the Disney Media & Entertainment Division. And more cost-cutting is one the way, as indicated by Iger’s comments yesterday about “spending less on what we make, and making less” when it comes to upcoming Marvel and “Star Wars” content. So while Iger’s reinstallment may have righted the Disney ship for a time post-Chapek, more stormy weather lies ahead.

As SAG-AFTRA enters its first day on strike, the industry essentially comes to a stand still. How long will both strikes last? At this point, it’s uncertain, but rest assured Iger, Zaslav, or some other studio head will have something out of touch to say about it in the coming weeks.