Actors’ Strike is over: SAG-AFTRA reaches a new agreement with Hollywood Studios

After 118 days of strike, the US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA has reached a new agreement withAMPTPthe association that brings together the main players Studios and streaming platforms. So it ends like this the longest strike in the history of American cinema.

The union has in fact reached a three-year agreement with the Studios after months of discussions on issues not only economic but also related to the use of AI in the world of cinema. The delegation approved the agreement with a unanimous vote, now the agreement must be submitted to the SAG-AFTRA National Council on Friday and voted on by approximately 60 thousand union members.

As we can read in the press release issued by the union, the union reached a “historic” agreement with the Studios, an agreement worth more than a billion dollars, which provides: the 7% increase in the minimum wage (two percent higher than the increases already negotiated by the WGA and DGA), the increase in residuals from broadcast streaming products And increased contributions to health and pension plans.

But the most important change of this new agreement is related on the use of artificial intelligence in the world of cinema, one of the main concerns of the union that blew up the negotiating table in July. In fact, the Studios proposed to the union the possibility of digitally scanning the extras for the cost of just one day’s work and then using their features indefinitely through the use of AI, in addition to the possibility of use of actors. ‘ face at will, even after their death. Although the details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, the SAG-AFTRA union added to the agreement a set of new rules related to the use of AIfirst in the world.

At the end of the press release, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA would like to thank everyone for their support, including all members of WGA who, even before the actors, took to the streets not accepting the unfavorable proposals placed on the table of the Studios.

THE #SagAfterStrike FINISHED.

🧵 Thread below. pic.twitter.com/KDTl9uKBRt

— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) November 9, 2023

The strike, joined by the WGA screenwriters that ended on September 25, completely paralyzed US television and film production, forcing studios to make costly film postponements and throw out television schedules. for the current and next season in chaos. After the approval of the new agreement set for Friday, production will finally resume.

Source: SAG-AFTRA