SAG-AFTRA and the studios have entered into negotiations for a new film and television deal. The talks, which began Wednesday morning at the offices of studio representatives, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, in Sherman Oaks, came two days after guild members voted 97.9% to authorize a strike if no acceptable deal should be reached by the end of the month.
The negotiations, which are taking place under media blackout, also come the day after the unanimous approval of DGA’s new contract with the AMPTP by the National Board of Directors of the Directors Guild, and on the 37th day of the Writers Guild strike.
“Today, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP entered into formal negotiations for a new contract, with the agreement that neither organization will comment to the media during the process of the negotiations,” both sides said in a joint statement.
Commenting on the “amazing” results of the strike authorization vote, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying: “While we have acted in good faith and with the Intent to enter into these negotiations This vote ensures a strong deal for our members and sends a strong signal to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that we are prepared for any eventuality. The stakes have never been higher: we must ensure a future in which members can make a living as artists and are protected from the abuse of evolving technology.
“Months of preparation went into our union’s initial proposals. Members raised their concerns during our pay and conditions process, which spanned over 100 hours of collaborative discussions in meetings and video conferences. The result is a package of proposals that reflect both the needs of professional artists and the future of the industry.
“The strength of our union lies in our solidarity, and we look forward to a future where this spirit of unity among creative professionals continues, not only during the negotiation process but also for years to come.”
Before voting on permission to strike, the union laid out some of its key negotiating issues, including “economic justice, balances, regulating the use of artificial intelligence and alleviating the strain of the industry-wide shift to self-taping.”
Regarding economic justice, the guild said, “Outdated contract terms coupled with the evolution of the media business, including shorter seasonal orders and longer breaks between seasons, make it increasingly difficult for our members to achieve and maintain a middle-class lifestyle as a performer.” In stark contrast to the declining compensation of our members, the studios are seeing huge profits with optimistic prospects, as evidenced by the lavish executive compensation.
“SAG-AFTRA is committed to enabling our members to make a living performing scripted live-action dramatic entertainment. That means ensuring higher compensation for our members at work, strengthening the funding of our healthcare, retirement and pension plans, and giving our members a meaningful share of the economic value of their services.”
Regarding the balance payments, the guild said, “While new business models result in more and more SAG-AFTRA content being monetized around the world, the balance payments do not reflect the economic value of this exhibition.” SAG-AFTRA is committed to ensuring that the balance payments are both reflect the economic value of our members’ contribution as well as serve as a meaningful revenue stream for artists.
Regarding AI, the guild said: “Artificial intelligence has already proven to be a real and imminent threat to our members’ work and can mimic members’ voices, likenesses and performance.” We need to reach agreement on acceptable uses, safeguards against abuse Negotiate and ensure approval and fair compensation for using your work to train AI systems and create new deliverables. In their public statements and their political work, the companies have not shown the will to take seriously the fundamental rights of our members to our own voice and our image.”
Self-recorded auditions, meanwhile, are “unregulated and out of control,” the guild said. “Too many pages, too little time, and unreasonable demands have made self-taping auditions a massive, daily, undiminishing burden on artists’ lives.” Proper rules and restrictions, as well as access to other casting formats, are badly needed to ensure a ensure fair access to job opportunities and protect artists from exploitation.”
The guild also said that “many other important issues, including those related to specific careers and categories, are also on the agenda.”
After the guild voted to authorize the strike, the AMPTP said, “We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of reaching a new agreement that is beneficial to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry at large.”
Since the merger of SAG and AFTRA in 2012, SAG-AFTRA has not hit the film and television industry. Their last strike against the studios was in 1980 – a 95-day strike that settled contract terms for pay-TV and videocassettes.