After reaching a tentative deal, Hollywood writers are back to work, and now negotiators for actors and major studios are returning to the bargaining table to put an end to the ongoing performers’ strike.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), posted on social media on Monday, “Today, we go back to the bargaining table to fight for the contract you deserve. Keep turning out in full force on our picket lines and at solidarity events around the country. Let the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) hear your voices loud and clear.”
Last week, the union announced that it would resume talks with AMPTP on Monday. SAG-AFTRA also stated that, “Several executives from AMPTP member companies will be in attendance. As negotiations proceed, we will report any substantive updates directly to you.”
This announcement came after the writers’ strike ended, allowing them to resume work. The proposed contract agreement between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and AMPTP was endorsed by the WGA leaders, and union members began voting for its ratification on Monday.
The WGA strike began on May 2, with actors joining in mid-July, both parties demonstrating their concerns about residual formulas for streamed content and protections against the use of artificial intelligence.
These labor actions brought the entertainment industry to a halt, with actors and writers protesting daily in front of Hollywood studios.
While the WGA and AMPTP negotiated their deal, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP had not officially engaged in talks since the actors’ strike began in July.
SAG-AFTRA, representing about 160,000 actors, has various demands, including wage increases, protections against the use of actor images through AI, higher compensation for successful streaming programs, and improvements in healthcare and retirement benefits.
The deal reached between WGA and AMPTP leaders includes stepped increases in minimum salaries, with a 5% jump upon ratification, 4% in May 2024, and 3.5% in May 2025. It also includes increases in health and pension contributions.
The proposed contract also sets restrictions on the use of AI by studios, preventing AI from writing or rewriting literary material and disallowing AI-generated material from being considered source material that could undermine a writer’s credit.
The proposal also introduces a new residual formula for streaming programs, increasing pay for successful programs. It includes pay raises for writers on TV series and employment guarantees for a specific number of writers based on the number of episodes being produced.
While some aspects of the writers’ deal may be used as a template for negotiations with actors, SAG-AFTRA’s demands differ in terms of the wage increases being sought.
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