Nov
8,
2023
Today, SAG-AFTRA negotiators announced the approval of a tentative agreement with the studios bringing the longest actors strike in Hollywood history to a close.
In a typical Hollywood cliffhanger, last Friday the AMPTP delivered it’s “last, best and final” offer…or ultimatum… to the table. The offer did not include a key union ask around rev share of streaming platforms but did address other key issues.
In the announcement which came just before 5pm pst, the union said the strike which lasted 118 days would officially end at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday and actors could return to work by tomorrow morning.
The negotiating committee approved the deal on a unanimous vote and now the agreement will go to the SAG-AFTRA national board for approval on Friday, and then a vote by union members to ratify the agreement which could take up to a week. The full terms of the agreement are expected to be announced after the national board signs off.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP spend the last few days and countless hours putting the final tweaking to the deal which is said to offer the first-ever protections for actors when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence and a historic pay increase that will average around 7%.
The deal which comes just before the holiday season was a hail mary to save the 2023-24 TV season and the schedule for next summer’s theatrical season. Actors everywhere will breathe a sigh of relief tonight.
The deal, once finalized, will hold for the next three years. If the last few months have shown the industry anything, it’s that AI is here to stay but so is union strength.
