Hollywood can breathe a sigh of relief, after one of its major labor unions agreed to a new deal without even mentioning another strike.
Performers union SAG-AFTRA and the bargaining representative for studios and streamers, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, announced they had reached tentative agreement on a new deal on Saturday. The two parties did not go into details about the terms of the agreement, but they said they would reveal more information at a later time.
“SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on the terms of the next contract for SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 television/theatrical contracts covering motion pictures, prime-time scripted dramatic television, streaming content and new media,” the guild said in a statement.
The tentative agreement is now subject to approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, which will meet in the coming days.
While SAG-AFTRA had a long list of priorities at the negotiating table this year, the pressing issue was generative artificial intelligence. The union set standards for approval and compensation related to AI during its negotiations in 2023, but the technology and its use cases have changed since then. SAG-AFTRA has been eager to update its language as a result, with chief SAG-AFTRA negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland saying he wants to eventually make AI-generated performers as expensive as humans in their CES appearances ahead of negotiations.
The union also focused on improving member compensation. “People need their wages; they have a hard time qualifying for health care. They need the cost of living and inflation [adjustments]. “People need to make more money,” SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin previously said. THR.
Meanwhile, the AMPTP is looking to strike longer labor deals with major unions to ensure there is no downtime for at least a few years. The alliance tried this approach with the first union to enter contract negotiations this year, the Writers Guild of America, and while it did not end up creating the five-year deal it initially sought, the WGA settled for four years.
The Performers’ Guild began negotiations, led by its national executive, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, on 9 February. AMPTP’s Hissinger served as chief negotiator for the studios and banners. The two parties have extended contract negotiations twice, most recently returning to the negotiating table after the AMPTP concluded its WGA deal on April 27.
Now, the agreement will be sent to the SAG-AFTRA National Council for approval. Finally, it will be evaluated by members in a ratification vote that has not yet been scheduled.
