SAG-AFTRA Strike Ending After Deal is Reached
After two straight weeks of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement that will end the strike after 118 days.
After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike is coming to an end. After two weeks of negotiations, The Hollywood Reporter reports that the union has reached a tentative agreement with the studios for a new three-year contract. The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee took a unanimous vote to approve the agreement, with the strike set to end at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday. The following day, the deal will be going to the union's national board for approval.
The union and the studios had multiple back-and-forth negotiations since the strike began in July. Following the end of the WGA strike at the end of September, SAG had high hopes that their strike would soon end as well. However, negotiations had a setback when the two sides were still not agreeing on some major issues like AI use. They restarted on Oct. 24, and the studios had a "more generous" offer for the actors' wages and a modified version of a streaming bonus they offered the WGA.
On Saturday, the AMPTP presented what they called their "Last, Best and Final" offer, but even so, the two were still negotiating the proposal. SAG had updated members and their followers on social media, noting at the time, there were still "several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI." Reportedly, the AMPTP wanted to secure AI scans for members who earn more than the minimum for series regulars and feature films, requiring studios and streamers to pay to scan the likeness of said performers. SAG-AFTRA wanted compensation and consent, as studios also wanted to secure "the right to use scans of deceased performers without the consent of their estate or SAG-AFTRA," according to THR.
As negotiations got further for SAG and the AMPTP, writers had been hard at work since their strike ended. Just recently, more information was revealed about the episode counts for the upcoming seasons. Most seem to be aiming for 10-13 episodes. While that does seem short, it's definitely better than nothing. Shows were also hoping to start filming at the end of the month at the earliest. So now, with the strike likely coming to a close, it seems that shows may finally be able to get back on track.
More information on the deal will probably be released in the coming days. Although the union still has to vote on the proposal, it seems like Hollywood will finally be able to get back on its feet, and it's going to be so great when productions and promotions will be able to start back up.