SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a four-year contract with the major studios, which includes new provisions on synthetic actors and a merger of the union’s two pension funds.
Of those who cast ballots, 91.4% voted in favor of the contract and 8.6% were opposed. Turnout was 19.3% of eligible members.
The contract allows producers to use AI performers only if they bring “significant additional value” compared to a live actor or that actor’s digital avatar. The union has argued that the language — coupled with an arbitration provision — will limit the use of AI replicas to a handful of edge cases.
“We feel very confident what we’ve been able to achieve here is in the vanguard of what any industry wants to achieve,” said Sean Astin, the union’s president, in an interview last month.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, said in a statement on Thursday that the deal builds on gains made during the 2023 actors’ strike, which included a provision allowing actors’ AI replicas to be used only with their consent and with payment. He noted that the deal improves on residual terms and will “ensure synthetics remain the exception in our industry instead of the rule.”
“Most importantly, this agreement positions our members to shape the future of this business while protecting the value of human performance and creativity,” Crabtree-Ireland said.
But some within the union have warned that the studios will face little constraint in using AI performers, and have argued for tighter restrictions. The union will also get notice and an opportunity to bargain in case studios begin using synthetic actors, but will not be in a position to call a strike over the issue until 2030.
Given the pace of change in AI, some have argued that agreeing to a four-year term — instead of the typical three — would be a mistake. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have made getting a longer period of “labor peace” its top priority in all union negotiations this cycle, as the studios are keen to avoid a repeat of the 2023 strikes.
The union’s national board previously voted 89% in favor of the deal, with a handful objecting to the merger of the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and the AFTRA Retirement Fund. The funds have remained separate since the merger of the two unions 14 years ago, amid concerns from SAG participants about a perceived bailout of the AFTRA plan.
The contract includes an extra 1% contribution from the studios into the combined pension plans, and union leaders have argued that the arrangement will leave participants in both plans better off.
Peter Antico, a former candidate for secretary-treasurer, has led opposition to the pension merger, which still requires agreement from other employers who contribute. In a LinkedIn post, he described the merger as a “recipe for disaster.”
Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed by a significant curtailment in benefits a few years later. Union leaders have argued that the two cases are not alike, and that the actuarial projections on the pension merger make it clear that the merged plan will be stable well into the future.
In keeping with custom, the AMPTP congratulated SAG-AFTRA on ratifying the deal.
“This agreement delivers meaningful improvements in wages, pension and health benefits, streaming residuals, and performer protections,” the studio group said. “SAG-AFTRA’s leadership brought a genuine commitment to partnership, and together with the WGA agreement, these deals demonstrate what is possible when the industry works toward practical solutions that support its long-term stability. We look forward to building on that momentum.”
The AMPTP remains in talks with the Directors Guild of America, which has a contract set to expire on June 30. The key issues in that negotiation are jobs, AI and health care.
