SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with the major studios, as negotiators have managed to avoid a repeat of the strikes of three years ago.
The union agreed to a deal about a month after the Writers Guild of America announced its tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Both unions waged multi-month strikes against the major studios in 2023.
The terms of the agreement have yet to be revealed. The agreement must still be approved by the union’s board and ratified by the membership to take effect.
Though the current contract does not expire until June 30, the negotiators were up against a deadline. The Directors Guild of America begins its negotiations on May 11, and the AMPTP needed a week or so to prepare. If no deal was reached with SAG-AFTRA, the two sides would have had to suspend talks and resume in June.
The performers’ union began talks with the AMPTP on Feb. 9, nearly five months before the prior contract was due to expire. The negotiators appeared to want to give themselves plenty of time to try to reach a deal, in part to avoid exacerbating the global industry contraction.
The major issues on the agenda included artificial intelligence and streaming residuals, both of which also featured prominently in the 2023 strike. The union won significant protections in 2023 against “digital replicas” — that is, AI avatars that resemble human performers — including provisions for consent and compensation.
But the union has been trying again to impose greater restrictions on synthetic characters like Tilly Norwood. The union has also been trying to increase the residual bonuses for performers who appear on hit shows on streaming. Actors have long complained that streaming residuals are a pittance compared to traditional broadcast and syndication residuals.
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From Variety US