SAG, AMPTP Yet to Resolve Major Issues Amid Ongoing Negotiations
By Movieguide® Contributor
After meeting again on Monday—the fourth meeting in eight days—SAG and AMPTP negotiators walked away without a new contract.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day,” the AMPTP said in a statement on Monday. “Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, October 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.”
The negotiations are stretching into their second week of the two sides meeting in earnest since the WGA and AMPTP made a deal at the end of September. While the actors and studios are both eager to cut a deal and kickstart the entertainment industry, major issues yet to be resolved keep the actors on strike.
The problems that negotiators are hashing out include better pay for actors and guidelines for the use of emerging AI tools. While these problems mirror those of the WGA, the solutions found in the writers’ contract provide little help when it comes to the actors.
The actors union, for example, is seeking an 11% increase in minimum rates for all of its members in the first year alone. The writers, for comparison, settled for a 5% increase in the first year, followed by a 4% and then a 3.5% increase in the years following.
Furthermore, the writers were able to break ground in the streaming space and negotiate better residual pay. The actors, meanwhile, are attempting to follow suit but are demanding a much higher rate for successful streaming shows.
As for AI, the concerns of the writers and actors have little overlap. The writers’ new contract allows writers full use of AI tools without any detriment to their pay. This sets little precedent for the actors who are working to secure “informed consent” in the AI reproduction of their voice or likeness.
While these major issues remain difficult to resolve, the studios face immense pressure to bring the actors back to work as the writers begin to produce new material. To show the seriousness of their efforts, the CEOs of four major studios have been present at the recent meetings.
NBCUniversals’ Donna Langley, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Disney’s Bob Iger have all been present at the negotiations to hasten the deal. However, the SAG negotiators remain set on continuing the strike until all of their demands have been properly addressed.
Movieguide® previously reported:
SAG and AMPTP finished a full week of negotiations and plan to continue next week as the two sides work to hammer out a deal and bring the entertainment industry back to full force.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP met for a full day bargaining session and have concluded,” the two sides said in a joint statement earlier this week. “Negotiations will continue Friday, October 6, with the parties working internally over the weekend, resuming Monday, October 9.”
While the actors’ union has met with the AMPTP at other times during the strike, this one is different—and a more sincere effort—as top CEOs sit down for multi-day talks.
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