Representatives of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) reached a tentative agreement with studio executives on Wednesday, concluding the 118-day actor strike that has brought Hollywood production to a standstill. The longest strike in entertainment industry history had previously partnered with a Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) protest in pushing back against low residual payments and encroaching AI technology.
“We did it!!!!” declared SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher in an Instagram post on Wednesday night. “The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere! [Thank you] sag aftra members for hanging in and holding out for this historic deal!”
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The actors strike began in mid-July when more than 60,000 union members joined screenwriters who had walked off the job two months earlier, marking the first joint Hollywood strike since 1960. Both unions shared similar demands, mainly focusing on securing a larger share of streaming revenue for performers, increasing bonuses and benefits plans, and preventing artificial intelligence from being used to write scripts or recreate actor performances. The strikes cost Hollywood studios an estimated $6.5 billion and eliminated 45,000 entertainment industry jobs, according to Deadline estimates. At least 11 major film and television productions were disrupted during that time,
(RELATED VIDEO: Hollywood Crisis- The Biggest Writers & Actors Strike Since 1960)
Studios reached an agreement with writers in late September, resolving their dispute after 148 days. The three-year contract guaranteed pay raises, AI protections, and other provisions the WGA had demanded. SAG-AFTRA pledged to remain on strike until similar terms were provided to them.
Representatives from the major Hollywood studios recently submitted what they called their “last, best, and final offer” to the union. While details of the agreement have not been made public, it appears to have been sufficient for SAG-AFTRA leadership to authorize a return to work at 12:01 am on Thursday. More information will be released later this week once the union’s 160,000 members have put the resolution to a vote.
In a statement released Thursday morning, President Joe Biden commended the agreement as proof that “collective bargaining works.”
“I applaud SAG-AFTRA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for working together in good faith towards an agreement that allows our entertainment industry to continue telling the stories of America,” he said. “When both sides come to the table to negotiate in earnest they can make businesses stronger and allow workers to secure pay and benefits that help them raise families and retire with dignity.”
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