Actors Approve SAG-AFTRA Deal That Ended 118-Day Strike: ‘It’s an Enormous Victory' (original) (raw)

SAG-AFTRA members have come to a new multi-year TV and theatrical agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

In a press release shared by the union on Tuesday, it was revealed that 38% of SAG-AFTRA members turned out to vote and that the contract passed with 78.33% support. The union described it as an "enormous victory" in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).

This comes after the Hollywood actors strike ended on Nov. 9, when SAG-AFTRA's negotiating committee reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. The strike began on July 14 and lasted for 118 days, making it the longest in the actors' union's history.

The new contract includes “more than $1 billion in new compensation and benefit plan funding, along with outsized gains to the traditional residuals formulas," the union said. Entertainers who work for streaming platforms will see a new compensation model allowing them to make substantial bonuses on top of existing residuals structures.

There are also restructured rules around consent and compensation guardrails for the use of AI, hair and makeup equity, and more, the union said. The deal also includes "meaningful protections" for the casting process and new sexual harassment prevention protections.

Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

In the announcement Tuesday, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said she was "proud" of the union's membership.

"They struck for 118 days to grant the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee the necessary leverage to secure over $1 billion in gains, along with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology," she said.

“Now they’ve locked in the gains by ratifying the contract," Drescher continued. "SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”

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SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland echoed Drescher’s words, adding that members deserve “fairness” and “protection” for the projects that they create.

“This new contract delivers on these objectives and makes substantial progress in moving the industry in the right direction. By ratifying this contract, members have made it clear that they’re eager to use their unity to lay the groundwork for a better industry, improving the lives of those working in their profession,” he said.

Following the announcement, Chicago Med actor Steven Weber reacted to the news via social media.

“And now let’s move forward, stay vigilant, stay fed, stay creative, and stay human. And stay united,” he wrote on Instagram. The actor, 62, also tagged SAG-AFTRA’s account in the post.

Days before the contract was ratified, some actors openly said they were against the deal.

“Still a “no” for me dawg… 🤷🏽‍♂️,” Insecure actor Kendrick Sampson captioned an Instagram carousel.

After stating that he’d received “many” messages from individuals outside of the television and theatrical industry weighing in on SAG-AFTRA’s contract and the possible relationship with AI, Sampson expressed some of his concerns in multiple slides.

In one screenshot, the actor and activist, 35, explained that he felt actors’ leverage could be diminished because projects could theoretically be promoted without the consent of the talent.

The new agreement is effective retroactively to Nov. 9, 2023, and expires June 30, 2026.