To end a months-long strike, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA tentatively strikes a deal

To end a months-long strike, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA tentatively strikes a deal
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The union that represents about 160,000 actors, SAG-AFTRA, and major TV and film studios reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday that puts an end to a strike that was started more than three months ago.

“In a unanimous vote yesterday afternoon, The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee accepted a tentative agreement regarding the AMPTP bringing a conclusion to the 118-day strike,” the union’s press release stated.

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On Friday, after the deal is sent to the SAG-AFTRA National Board for review and consideration, more information about the agreement will be made public.

Shortly after, on November 9, SAG-AFTRA announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the strike had been “suspended as of 12:01 a.m.”

In a statement issued Wednesday night, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expressed its “pleasure” at having reached a tentative agreement.

The provisional agreement reached today establishes a new standard. SAG-AFTRA will receive the largest contract-on-contract gains in the union’s history, including the largest increase in the minimum wage in the last forty years, a new residual for streaming programs, comprehensive protections for consent and compensation when using artificial intelligence, and significant contract increases on a wide range of items. The statement said, “The AMPTP is happy to have reached a tentative agreement as well as looks forward to the industry picking up where it left off—telling great stories.”

The contract is valued at “over one billion dollars,” according to SAG-AFTRA, which also disclosed similar details in a post on X. It includes “‘above-pattern’ minimum wage increases, unprecedented provisions for consent as well as compensation that will safeguard members from the threat of AI, as well as for the first time creates a streaming participation bonus.”

A month has passed since Hollywood writers approved a settlement to resolve a different contract dispute with the studios. Similar to the writers’ agreement, the actors’ agreement has not yet been approved by a majority vote of union members.

Although some of their demands were different, the two professions shared some major concerns, such as residual payments and artificial intelligence.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher responded to the news of the tentative agreement by posting a statement on her Instagram account.

“We succeeded! The Deal Worth Billion+! triple the prior contract! Everywhere, new ground was broken! Thank you to all of the Sag Aftra members who persevered and held out for this historic deal! Thank you, Duncan & Ray, our lawyers, the IA team, the strike captains, the staff, family, and friends. Thank you to our sister unions for your unwavering support! And the AMPTP for listening to us and coming together at this precise moment! #sagaftrastrong,” she wrote in her post.

“This tentative agreement will help our economy statewide & kickstart a new wave of exciting projects,” stated California Governor Gavin Newsom shortly after the deal was announced. I’m grateful that we can now resume work in this venerable industry for the more than two million employees who support our top-tier entertainment business, in addition to our writers and performers.”

On July 14, the writers and actors went on strike together, joining the writers who have been on strike since May 2. The Writers Guild of America, a union representing writers, called off their walkout on September 27 following a provisional agreement with studios. The WGA membership approved that agreement on October 9.

The actors’ strike was initiated for a variety of reasons.

Overpayment was one problem. They contended that the money actors receive as residuals from previous projects has suffered as the industry has moved toward streaming. Although appearing in a popular show used to guarantee a substantial and steady salary in the years that followed, actors have recently seen their earnings drastically decline.

A press conference was held by SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who stated that the watching model has “undercut performers’ remaining earnings and high inflation further hampered our members’ ability to make ends meet.”

The possibility of artificial intelligence replacing actors’ real performances in upcoming roles was another big worry for the actors. AI poses an “existential threat” to actors’ livelihoods, according to Crabtree-Ireland.

A strike is definitely not the result we hoped for as studios are unable to function without the performers that bring TV shows and films to life, according to AMPTP, which blamed SAG-AFTRA at the time the actors’ strike started. For thousands of people who depend on the industry, the Union has unfortunately chosen a course that will put them in financial hardship.”

Actors were prohibited from promoting any current or previous projects produced under the prior SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP agreement during the strike. This made it impossible for the casts of films like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which both had their premieres a week after the strike started, to promote their work.

Due to the strike, television and film production came to a complete stop, and the 2023 Emmys were rescheduled for January 2024.

In a statement on Wednesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, “After a strike that lasted more than 100 days and affected millions of people in Los Angeles and across the nation, I am appreciative that a just agreement has been reached between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP. The people who are most affected during this time are those who are on the line, and our entire city has been affected. The tentative agreement reached today will have an effect on almost every aspect of our economy. To make sure that our entertainment sector recovers more than ever and that our economy can grow again, we now need to focus on domestic production.”

On October 2nd, negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP commenced and proceeded throughout the month and into the beginning of November.

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