SAG-AFTRA Unveils Details of Revolutionary Agreement

SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, announced the details of its agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers during a press conference on Friday. On Wednesday, the union had reached a preliminary agreement with the leading film and television studios to resolve their significant strike.

The tentative agreement, reached by the negotiating committee with the AMPTP, has been approved by the national board of the union with an overwhelming vote of 86%, according to Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator and national executive director. The contract entails a significant increase of $1 billion in wages and benefit plan funding, as well as a participation bonus for actors in successful streaming shows. Union president Fran Drescher also highlighted the inclusion of a 7% raise in most minimum payments in the deal.

Crabtree-Ireland highlighted the importance of implementing successful minimum compensation increases that deviate from the industry norm and assist our members in mitigating the impact of inflation.

Notably, the contract introduces consent and compensation safeguards specifically for artificial intelligence. Additionally, there will be enhanced caps on pensions and healthcare provisions for the unions benefit plan and funds.

Drescher stated that AI protections were a significant issue that could potentially halt the agreement. The agreement remains pending ratification from union members, and the union has announced plans to conduct informative sessions in the upcoming weeks, alongside contract voting.

The industry had been closed for almost four months due to the strike. From Thursday midnight onwards, union actors were permitted to resume their work.

SAG-AFTRA had partnered with the Writers Guild of America in an unprecedented double strike against the studios, marking the first time in over six decades that writers and actors had simultaneously gone on strike. The WGA members officially approved their agreement on October 9.

The union did not immediately reveal the terms of the deal when it was announced, but called the scope of the billion-dollar deal "extraordinary."

What the Writers Guild voted to ratify

The WGA members overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with Hollywood and television studios, with 99% in favor. This ended the writers strike on September 27, just two weeks after the tentative deal was reached.

Under the agreement, most writers will see an immediate 5% increase in their minimum pay. This will be followed by an additional 4% raise in May 2024 and another 3.5% increase in May 2025. Additionally, health fund contributions will rise by a half percentage point, reaching 12% of companies' reportable earnings. Furthermore, writers collaborating on the same script will no longer have to divide their pension and health contributions.

Concerns were raised among writers regarding the expansion of streaming services as they were not receiving residual payments like they did for traditional television show reruns. The new contract will increase initial compensation and residual pay for high-budget streaming projects. Additionally, the agreement ensures that artificial intelligence (AI) is prohibited from writing or rewriting literary works, and any materials generated by AI must be disclosed to writers.

- CNNs Oliver Darcy, Samantha Delouya and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.