After 118 days on strike, US actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative new deal for a three-year contract.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract. This news came late on the night of the 118th day of the strike, with the strike coming to an official end today, Thursday November 9th.
Speaking to their members on social media, SAG-AFTRA issued a statement saying that their negotiating committee voted unanimously to approve the tentative agreement at 12:01am Pacific Time, November 9th.
“Our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed,” the statement read. “We will be in touch in the coming days with information about celebration gatherings around the country.”
According to SAG-AFTRA, this new contract is valued at over one billion dollars. Details of the contract will be released once the tentative agreement has been reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board on Friday, November 10th.
Currently the only description of the new deal’s terms are from SAG-AFTRA’s statement to its members. The new deal would appear to address the main issues the union were bargaining for, such as increased residuals, increased minimum pay, and protections against AI technology. The description reads as follows:
“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.”
“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.”
In their statement, SAG-AFTRA acknowledged the solidarity of the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) during the actors’ strike. After the WGA reached a tentative deal with the AMPTP earlier this year, the writers’ union encouraged their members to join SAG-AFTRA’s picket line.
“Thank you all for your dedication, your commitment and your solidarity throughout this strike,” the union said, thanking their members for their continued support. “It is because of you that these improvements became possible.”
SAG-AFTRA members will soon be able to return to work, assuming the SAG-AFTRA National Board signs off on the tentative deal, and eligible members of the guild vote to ratify the new agreement thereafter. It is estimated that six months of Hollywood strikes have cost the Southern Californian economy more than 6.5 billion dollars. An estimated 45,000 entertainment jobs came to a halt during the strikes, proving to be a financially challenging time for guild members and below-the-line workers alike.
Today’s news marks the finale of a historic moment in the modern screen industry, with the first dual union strike in Hollywood since 1960 coming to an end.
