SAG-AFTRA
Negotiations for Hollywood’s largest union’s next three-year contract concluded with an optimistic outlook after a weekend of talks on Sunday. However, a final agreement has not yet been reached.
The weekend negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were productive, despite the lack of a set date for further formal bargaining. The talks focused on various deal points, including streaming work compensation and regulations on AI, which are still being worked out.
If a resolution is not reached by the first week of November, studio insiders have warned that the 2024 summer movie slates are likely to be affected, with a potential break in talks until the new year.
On Saturday, the union presented its latest responses to the studios. On Sunday, representatives from both parties held discussions without the direct involvement of top studio executives. These recent bargaining sessions have raised expectations of a tentative deal being reached.
Leading up to the final weekend of negotiations, thousands of SAG-AFTRA members expressed support for the union leadership in a signed letter. The letter emphasized the members’ willingness to continue the strike rather than accept a bad deal. Notably, the letter was signed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cynthia Nixon, Leslie Odom Jr., Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, and others.
During the negotiations, there was a separate group of actors who had concerns about the direction of the talks and had drafted a critical letter addressing SAG-AFTRA leadership. However, this letter was not released after the union returned to the bargaining table.
Kim Masters contributed to this report.
