“A Deal of Extraordinary Scope”: SAG-AFTRA Touts Agreement With Studios
SAG-AFTRA is calling its newly minted, strike-ending agreement with studios and streamers one that will benefit “every category” of its membership.
In a statement Wednesday night, the union’s TV/theatrical negotiating committee said the tentative agreement is “a deal of extraordinary scope” that includes substantial pay increases, guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence and what it calls a “streaming participation bonus.”
More from The Hollywood Reporter
“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers,” the statement says (read it in full below). “Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”
The negotiating committee said it won’t release full details of the agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers until the SAG-AFTRA national board reviews it. The statement, however, says the union won “above pattern” pay increases, raises for background actors and increased caps on pension and health funds, in addition to the extra streaming compensation and AI protections.
In a statement of its own, the AMPTP says, “Today’s tentative agreement represents a new paradigm. It gives SAG-AFTRA the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the history of the union, including the largest increase in minimum wages in the last forty years; a brand new residual for streaming programs; extensive consent and compensation protections in the use of artificial intelligence; and sizable contract increases on items across the board. The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories.”
Wednesday’s tentative agreement ends a 118-day strike, much of which overlapped with the 148-day writers strike that ended in late September. The union said that its labor action is suspended as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
SAG-AFTRA’s full statement is below.
We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. As of 12:01am PT on Nov. 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed. We will be in touch in the coming days with information about celebration gatherings around the country.
In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, 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.
We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.
Full details of the agreement will not be provided until the tentative agreement is reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board.
We also thank our union siblings — the workers that power this industry — for the sacrifices they have made while supporting our strike and that of the Writers Guild of America. We stand together in solidarity and will be there for you when you need us.
Thank you all for your dedication, your commitment and your solidarity throughout this strike. It is because of YOU that these improvements became possible.
In solidarity and gratitude,
Your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
