Studios incorporating AI into their systems has done one good thing for the industry: it has united the backbone and the faces of the industry. Although the writers have already accepted a deal from the studios, the actors marched on, in lack of any settlement and after 118 days, the strike is on the verge of coming to an end.
After going on for 118 days, SAG-AFTRA and the studios are now on the same page and have struck off a deal. The new three-year agreement will ‘possibly’ mark the end of the strike as the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee unanimously approved the agreement, ending the strike at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.
The deal came to fruition after two weeks of back-and-forth negotiations and after a deadline of 5 PM set by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The deal will be submitted for approval by the union’s national board on Friday.
The recent agreement includes unprecedented AI protections for actors and a significant pay raise. Minimums will rise by 7%, surpassing the raises granted to the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.
Kevin E. West, a committee member, shared that the approval of the contract brought about tears of exhilaration and joy in the committee room. He mentioned that achieving a unanimous final vote was a challenging task, and he expressed that the past two weeks had been quite lengthy. Speaking outside union headquarters, West conveyed these sentiments.
Just a couple of weeks ago, they were nearing an end to the negotiations, but AI became a determining factor in the deal and everything fell apart. Now, with the newer details and pointers of the deal, the actors are getting a fairer and more appropriate agreement.
Speaking about the newer deal, SAG-AFTRA tweeted, and we quote:
“In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes “above-pattern” minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus.
Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much-needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for categories, including outsized compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.”
They have indeed won, as the deal marks a victory for the actors, at least in some way or another. Especially in terms of AI protection, this will give them an edge over artificial intelligence.
But, as the actors’ side finalizes the deal, the studios are giving them a proper ultimatum. If a tentative agreement isn’t reached soon, the studios have warned that the 2023-24 TV season could be lost, and the next summer’s theatrical season might suffer significant setbacks.
This also marks the end of the longest-ever actor’s strike; the previous one was 95 days long in the 80s. They have won, they needed to win, but as they go through the ins and outs of the deal, the fans can only hope that they are getting what they deserve.
THE #SagAftraStrike IS OVER.
🧵 Thread below. pic.twitter.com/KDTl9uKBRt
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) November 9, 2023
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
