Actors Approve SAG-AFTRA Deal That Ended 118-Day Strike: ‘It’s an Enormous Victory’

SAG-AFTRA members have entered into a new multi-year TV and theater contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

In a press release shared by the union on Tuesday, it was revealed that 38% of SAG-AFTRA members turned out to vote and that the contract passed with 78.33% support. The union described it as a “huge victory” in a statement on x (formerly known as Twitter).

This comes after the end of the Hollywood actors’ strike on November 9, when the SAG-AFTRA bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. The strike began on July 14 and lasted 118 days, making it the longest in the history of the actors’ union.

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The new contract includes “more than $1 billion in new funding for the compensation and benefits plan, along with huge gains on traditional residual formulas,” the union said. Entertainers working for streaming platforms will see a new compensation model that allows them to build significant bonuses on top of existing residual structures.

There are also restructured rules around consent and safeguards for the use of artificial intelligence, hair and makeup stakes and more, the union said. The deal also includes “significant protections” for the casting process and new protections against sexual harassment.

Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

In a statement Tuesday, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said she is “proud” to be a member of the union.

“They went on strike for 118 days to give the TV/Theatrical Bargaining Committee the leverage it needed to secure more than a billion dollars in profits, along with the union’s first safeguards around AI technology,” she said.

“Now they have sealed the gains by ratifying the treaty,” Drescher continued. “SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process and I know they will continue their advocacy throughout our next round of negotiations. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”

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SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland echoed Drescher’s words, adding that members deserve “fairness” and “protection” for the projects they create.

“This new contract meets these goals and makes significant progress in moving the industry in the right direction. By ratifying this agreement, members have made it clear that they want to use their unity to lay the foundations for a better industry, improving the lives of those who work in their profession,” he said.

After publication, Chicago Med actor Steven Weber reacted to the news via social media.

“And now let’s move forward, let’s stay awake, stay full, stay creative and stay human. And stay united,” he wrote on Instagram. The actor, 62, also tagged SAG-AFTRA’s account in the post.

A few days before the treaty was ratified, some actors openly said that they were against the agreement.

“It’s still a no for me dear… 🤷🏽‍♂️,” Uncertain actor Kendrick Sampson described the Instagram carousel.

After stating that he had received “many” messages from individuals outside the television and theater industries concerned with the SAG-AFTRA contract and its possible relationship with artificial intelligence, Sampson expressed some of his concerns in multiple slides.

Everything you need to know about the SAG strike and how it will affect TV and movies

In one screenshot, the actor and activist, 35, explained how he felt the influence of actors could be diminished because theoretical projects could be promoted without the consent of the talented.

The new contract takes effect retroactively from November 9, 2023, and expires on June 30, 2026.

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Source: HIS Education