SAG-AFTRA Talks To Resume on Wednesday

Negotiations on a new SAG-AFTRA contract have finished for the day and are set to continue on Wednesday, as the two sides work to resolve the 88-day actors strike.

The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced the update in a joint statement on Monday evening.

SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day, the statement read. Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, October 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.

SAG-AFTRA leaders met three times last week with the CEOs of four entertainment companies at the union headquarters in the Miracle Mile area.

The union is seeking an 11% increase in minimum rates in the first year of the new contract. The studios are seeking to limit increases to 5%, which was provided to both the writers and directors.

The union also wants 2% of the revenue attributed to each film and TV show on a streaming platform, in addition to the current residuals that already apply to streaming shows.

The studios agreed to give the Writers Guild of America a limited bonus for successful made-for-streaming shows, but the actors are seeking a much more substantial reward.

The union has also been focused on securing informed consent for the use of artificial intelligence to replicate actors voices and likenesses. SAG-AFTRA negotiators are also seeking a broad range of other concessions, including increases in the earnings caps for pension and health contributions, a limit to the number of pages that can be assigned in self-taped auditions, and a prohibition on the use of casting platforms that charge actors for access to jobs.

The strike has been ongoing since July 14, and has halted most major studio production around the globe. The union has made exceptions for independent projects that accept the terms of its most recent offer.

Actors have been forbidden since the strike began from promoting their work, which has forced the studios to postpone film releases and made it more challenging to debut some films at festivals.

The WGA ratified its new contract on Monday, with 99% of the members voting in favor, formally ending the labor dispute that led to a 148-day strike.

SAG-AFTRA issued a statement of support for the WGA ratification on Monday afternoon.

SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on the overwhelming ratification of their new contract, a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said. We salute the WGA negotiators, leadership and members for their fortitude and dedication. Onward!