SAG-AFTRA Strike Ends After 118 Days
By Movieguide® Contributor
The SAG-AFTRA strike began over 118 days ago, and the actors’ union and the AMPTP finally reached a deal Wednesday evening.
According to Deadline, “Coming just less than a month after Writers Guild members overwhelmingly ratified their own agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, SAG-AFTRA’s deal is the culmination of the latest round of renewed negotiations that began October 24. Indicating the seriousness and stakes of the negotiations, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav frequently directly participated in the talks.”
The union sent an email saying, “We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”
Per Variety, union committee member Kevin E. West said people were in tears of “exhilaration and joy.”
“The final vote was unanimous. That’s a difficult thing to accomplish,” he added. “It’s honestly been a really long two weeks.”
Sean Astin, another committee member, said, “People have put so much of themselves. The toll it takes is real. The level of emotion is impossible to overstate.”
The AMPTP released a statement saying the contract “represents a new paradigm.”
“The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories,” the group wrote.
Disney’s Bob Iger also stated, “Obviously we’d like to try to preserve a summer of films. The entire industry is focused on that. We don’t have much time to do that.”
“In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes ‘above-pattern’ minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus,” SAG posted on Instagram. “Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.”
“We also thank our union siblings — the workers that power this industry — for the sacrifices they have made while supporting our strike and that of the Writers Guild of America. We stand together in solidarity and will be there for you when you need us,” the post continued.
Movieguide® previously reported:
As the SAG-AFTRA strike stretches over 116 days, studios have put forth a “last, best, and final offer” in an effort to end the conflict.
Guild leaders will look over the offer before coming to a decision.
“There’s a lot to digest here,” an insider told Deadline about the studios’ proposals. “This simply takes time to review and to respond.”
Variety reported, “The offer includes a success bonus for streaming shows, increases in minimum rates, and protections against artificial intelligence.”
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