After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike is coming to an end.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) union has been on strike since July 14, 2023 fighting for better compensation, wider access to viewership data, a new system of residuals in the streaming era, and regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Over 100 days later, it appears that Hollywood studios – represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – have struck a deal that seems beneficial to the actors.
Actors express concerns about AI
On Sunday, November 5, studios sent what they called a “last, best, and final” offer, which was countered by the actors over the course of the week. After two days of negotiations about that “final” offer, SAG and AMPTP failed to strike a deal by the evening of Tuesday, November 7. Deadline reported that actors and studios were still disagreeing over AI protections, but agreed to continue negotiations the next day.
On Wednesday, November 8, it was announced that a deal between SAG and AMPTP has finally been struck. The announcement from the negotiators said the 118-day strike would end at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, according to Variety.
The agreement was approved unanimously. It will now go to the SAG-AFTRA national board for approval on Friday. Negotiators have spent days putting together the final deal. It will reportedly include protections against AI and significant pay increases.
Full details of the deal are expected to be known on Friday after the national vote, Variety reports.
The SAG strike is coming to an end 45 days after the end of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike on September 24, 2023. With both actors and writers now going back to business, Hollywood can officially get back to work.
It is unlikely that major movies and TV shows will resume production this late into 2023. However, Hollywood can hit the ground running first thing in 2024.
- Drew Barrymore’s 3 Head Writers Won’t Return, Even After End of WGA Strike ›
- John Oliver Wants You to Unionize: 'Find Power in Each Other' ›
- SAG-AFTRA Praises Proposed Legislation That Would Protect Actors From AI Replicas ›
- Striking Actors Horrified by Studios' Dystopian AI Proposals ›
- How Has OpenAI Gone Through Three CEOs in Just Three Days? ›
