SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative four-year 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.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on terms for a successor contract to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts covering motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television, streaming content and new media,” the union said in a statement.
The AMPTP posted the same statement on its website.
Like the WGA, SAG-AFTRA agreed to extend the typical three-year term by one year, acceding to the studios’ desire for a longer period of labor peace.
In exchange for the longer term, the WGA received a $321 million infusion into its health fund. It was not clear what the performers’ union got in return for the extra year, but the AMPTP was believed to have sweetened its offer on Saturday, helping to close the deal.
The agreement must still be approved by the union’s board and ratified by the membership to take effect. In the statement, the union said that terms would not be disclosed until the board has a chance to review the agreement. The board is expected to review the terms in the coming days.
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.
The initial round of talks ran through March 15, before SAG-AFTRA gave way to the WGA, which has an earlier deadline. When the WGA reached a deal earlier than expected last month, that opened a window for SAG-AFTRA to resume its negotiations on April 27.
The Producers Guild of America congratulated SAG-AFTRA on reaching the agreement.
“Every person working in our industry is entitled to fair pay and benefits, and today’s announcement reflects a shared desire across our industry to secure equitable contracts that reflect the value of our important and creative work,” a PGA spokesperson said.
Updated with further details.
