Hollywood actors to resume negotiations with studios as writers' strike ends

As the Hollywood writers' strike comes to an end this week, actors are set to resume their own negotiations with studios.

After 148 days of picket lines and protests, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new three-year contract, though it must still officially be ratified by members.

But what about the actors, who have also been on strike this summer? Members of of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) stopped working July 14, marking the first time the union has gone on strike since 1980. But on Thursday the union announced it will return to the bargaining table with the AMPTP next week.

Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher speaks at a solidarity rally in Los Angeles on Sept. 13

"SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will resume negotiations for a new TV/theatrical contract on Monday, Oct. 2," representatives for SAG-AFTRA announced in a statement. "Several executives from AMPTP member companies will be in attendance."

The statement continued, "We appreciate the incredible displays of support and solidarity from all of you over the last 76 days of this strike. We urge you to continue coming out to the picket lines in strength and big numbers every day!"

The WGA's new agreement with studios includes many provisions for which writers had been fighting fiercely, such as restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence, minimum staffing requirements for writers' rooms, and paid residuals from streaming content. Though it could provide a model for SAG-AFTRA's own deal, the needs of the two unions are not exactly the same.

"We're happy WGA came to an agreement, but one size doesn't fit all," SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher told CNN on Thursday. "We look forward to resuming talks with the AMPTP."

Over the past two and a half months that SAG-AFTRA has been on strike, actors such as George Clooney, Martin Sheen, and Bryan Cranston (among many more) have walked picket lines and publicly supported the labor action. Their concerns include studios' threats to replace them with AI and the lack of residuals they say they are receiving from streaming content.

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