Getty EXCLUSIVE: SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, expressed it during the picket lines earlier today, and now it appears that “cautious optimism,” as an insider also mentioned, has become the prevailing sentiment on Thursday regarding the state of talks between the guild and the studios. In line with this, we have learned that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have agreed to meet again on Friday, October 27. Today’s negotiations concluded after nearly five hours. Following a day without direct talks, Wednesday’s discussions revolved around SAG-AFTRA’s response to the AMPTP’s latest offer on October 24, which included increased streaming show and movie bonuses and a rise in minimum rates. The studios, using their deal with the Writers Guild as a benchmark, proposed a 7% increase in minimums. The guild, which had been advocating for an 11% increase, recognized the strategic significance of the move and decided to offer a compromise that narrowed the gap between the two parties. One guild source described their revised revenue sharing demand as “evolved,” and according to a studio source, the counter-offer presented on Thursday is “something we can work with.” This could be seen as a somewhat positive sign considering SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for 105 days. The labor actions taken by the guild, along with the recently concluded Writers Guild strike, have halted production and put the 2024 small screen and big screen schedules in jeopardy. It is estimated that the summer of Hollywood strikes has cost Southern California’s economy approximately $6.5 billion and a loss of 45,000 jobs. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go, and despite meeting for the second day in a row on Thursday, the bargaining room did not lead to any resolution, according to another studio source. However, after taking a step back on October 25 to conduct a thorough review of the new AMPTP proposal, president Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and other guild leaders returned to the bargaining table on Thursday. As with the final days of the Writers Guild negotiations and SAG-AFTRA talks earlier this month and on October 24, they were joined by top executives from Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery, and Netflix, as well as AMPTP president Carol Lombardini. It is worth noting that today’s meeting between the CEOs and the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee started later than usual due to scheduling conflicts, with the gathering at the actors guild’s Wilshire Blvd offices commencing around noon. Taking advantage of this delay, SAG-AFTRA’s Crabtree-Ireland took to the picket line at Paramount this morning, stating that he is “cautiously optimistic” and emphasizing that the guild is fully committed to reaching a fair deal at the table. It seems that all key parties involved in ending this strike will be present at the negotiating table, at least for one more day.
Deadline Announces the Resumption of Talk Shows on Friday with an Air of “Optimism”
