‘Saturday Night Live’ Editors Ratify New Labor Contract, Averting Strike

The Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) announced on Thursday that the post-production team of “Saturday Night Live” has approved its first-ever labor contract with NBCUniversal, averting what would have been the first show-specific strike for the hallowed late night comedy show.

Effective immediately, the editor team will receive pay increases ranging between 7.5% and 33%, with the increases rising to 60% over the duration of the contract through summer 2026.

The contract also provides healthcare benefits for all crew members and codifies provisions for
meals, hotel stays and car services to address the unusual working hours on the show, where
the pre-taped sketches that the editors work on must be completed from start to finish in less than a week to be ready for the live broadcast on Saturday. A joint commitment was also made to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on the crew.

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The “SNL” editor team unionized with the Editors Guild this past October, but continued to work without a contract as talks with NBCUniversal stalled. On March 9, the team announced a strike deadline on April 1, and a tentative agreement was reached eight days later.

“The solidarity and bravery of this crew are just so impressive,” said Cathy Repola, National Executive Director of Editors Guild. “They fought not just to improve their own working lives; they have also set a standard that will benefit all those who follow in their footsteps at this TV comedy institution. It was an honor to work with them on reaching this significant agreement.”

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