OAN’s Abril Elfi
11:46 AM – Thursday, November 9, 2023
The SAG-AFTRA actors’ union reached a tentative agreement with studios after 118 days on strike.
On Thursday, the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union strike ended after a historical 118 days. The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday.
According to the union, the agreement will go to the union’s national board for approval on Friday.
The strike first began on July 14th, shutting down production across the industry for nearly four months and raising questions about the future of the entertainment business.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, had been bargaining with the union on and off all year to strike an agreement. The AMPTP and the actors both hailed the accord.
The union’s president, Fran Drescher, called the pact “historic,” while the studios claimed it “represents a new paradigm” for Hollywood, television, and performers.
“We did it!!!! The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere! Ty sag-aftra members for hanging in and holding out for this historic deal!” he said.
The union released a statement announcing that the strike would officially end on Thursday at midnight.
“The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories,” the studios said in a statement.
The terms of the agreement, which must still be accepted by the union’s members before it can go into force, were not immediately published. The union stated that they would not be revealed until the union’s board of directors had evaluated the agreement.
However, in a statement to members, the union dubbed the billion-dollar agreement’s scope “extraordinary,” noting that it contains large raises in pay minimums, artificial intelligence protections, and a streaming participation bonus, as well as improved benefits.
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