SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with film and TV studios, thus ending the longest actors strike in Hollywood history.
On Wednesday, the union announced that the 118-day strike would officially conclude at 12:01 a.m. PT on Thursday. The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote held on Wednesday. The agreement will to go to the SAG-AFTRA national board for approval on Friday.
Details of the agreement are still sparse, but the union is expected to provide more information prior to the ratification vote. In a message sent to members Wednesday night, SAG-AFTRA disclosed the contract is worth more than $1 billion. The agreement includes major pay increases — which are significantly higher than the increases received by the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America, Variety reported — along with first-ever protections for actors against their likeness being recreated through artificial intelligence. There’s also a “streaming participation bonus,” along with increases in pension and health contributions and “critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.”
If the deal is ratified, the contract could soon go into effect, The Hollywood Reporter explained. But if not, then labor negotiators would resume bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers,” the union added in its message to members. “Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”
