Congressman Adam Schiff, Who Is Running for Senate, Joins SAG-AFTRA Picket Line at Netflix

“I'm with you all the way in this fight!" Schiff wrote on Instagram Monday

California Rep. Adam Schiff joined the picket lines outside the Netflix studio on Monday for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

The Democratic congressman, who is running to fill retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat, shared photos of himself on the picket lines on Instagram and Twitter. Other candidates in the Senate race include U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, an Orange County Democrat, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democratic, and former Google executive Lexi Reese, a Democrat who entered the race in June, the Associated Press reports. Republican Eric Early is also running.

Schiff, 63, wore a black shirt with the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists acronym and logo while he carried a sign that read in all caps “SAG-AFTRA on Strike!”

“Standing and marching with @sagaftra members on the picket line,” Schiff wrote.

“They’re fighting for a fair share of profits from the entertainment industry, better working conditions, and an equitable contract. So they aren’t left behind,” he continued.

“I'm with you all the way in this fight! ✊," added Schiff.

“I'm very proud to be here,” Schiff told SAG-AFTRA in a video shared on the union’s Twitter. "I've represented the workers in this industry as long as I've been in Congress and in the state legislature.”

He continued: “I know how hard people work. And I know how increasingly year after year, it's been more and more difficult for them to make a living and to get by and to continue creating that magic we see on our screens."

“I think this fight for an economy that works for them is the same fight all over the country in every industry," he said. "And it's a fight that says as the workplace changes, as technologies change, we can't leave workers behind. They ought to share the nation's prosperity. That's why I'm here.”

Related: Fran Drescher Says Actors Are 'Being Victimized' by 'Greedy Entity' in Fiery Speech About Hollywood Strike

In a video Deadline shared on Twitter, Schiff explained to reporters: “People back in the Congress think that everyone who works in this industry is some multi-millionaire celebrity when the reality is, these are folks who are just trying to put bread on the table, keep a roof over their head, provide for their family, work enough so they can qualify for health insurance.”

“They are hardworking people and the fight of workers in this industry is really the same fight of workers all over the country,” he said. “The problem today is not that people aren’t working, unemployment is at a historic low. The problem today is that people are working, but they’re still not making enough to get by.”

Related: Fran Drescher Says 'There's No Way to Predict' How Long SAG Strike Could Last (Exclusive)

Schiff is among those joining the picket lines after SAG-AFTRA announced on July 13 that the union would be going on strike. The shakeup comes after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach a new contract agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

In a press conference Thursday, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called the decision to strike “unanimous” and said that the “entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, A.I.” The Writers Guild of America has also been on strike since May 2.

Alongside SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Schiff discussed the need to regulate how A.I. is used in each industry.

“We continue to have committee hearings and discussions with leaders in science and technology to try to understand what the impacts are and with workers and with unions, so that we can respond,” Schiff said, according to Deadline.

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“Congress did a lousy job responding to all the changes in social media, we need to do much better when it comes to A.I.,” he said. “Otherwise, this country’s about to go through the most massive social experiment in which the American people may be the losers and we need to make sure that’s not going to be the case.”

Noting that A.I. could be “utterly catastrophic” for workers, Schiff also stated how "we need to make sure that in every field of domain where A.I. affects the workplace, workers aren’t left behind."

He added, “I think that those in the entertainment industry are really the tip of the spear, but this is going to happen with driverless trucks and automobiles and in so many other ways."

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