Hallelujah! The actors’ strike that began in early July and has run for almost four months, overlapping with the writers strike for three of them, seems to have come to an end as SAG-AFTRA has come to an agreement with AMPTP (i.e. the studios) for a new three-year contract.
It’s sure to come as a great relief to everyone in an industry that was hit so hard by the pandemic and struggled to get production back up and running, only for neither the WGA nor SAG-AFTRA to be happy with what the studios were offering in their new contract.
The strike will officially come to an end at 12:01 AM on Thursday, Nov. 9, allowing actors to get back to work on set, promoting their current projects, and seeking out new work for the new year. We’ll have to see how long before production can get back up to speed with scheduling issues being highly likely as in-demand actors will need to decide what to do first.
It was made official on SAG-AFTRA’s Instagram page:
Dear #SagAftraMembers:
We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. As of 12:01am PT on November 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed. We will be in touch in the coming days with information about celebration gatherings around the country.
In a contract valued at over one billion dollars, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes “above-pattern” minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus. Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.
We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.
The WGA West and WGA East congratulated their strike-mates on reaching their deal, similar to SAG-AFTRA doing the same when the writers settled:
“Congratulations to the SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee for reaching a tentative agreement after striking for 118 days to address the challenges actors were facing. We’re thrilled to see SAG-AFTRA members win a contract that creates new protections for performers and gives them a greater share of the immense value they create.
“When workers are united, they win!”
Specific details of the deal agreed upon have not been released yet, but the agreement goes to the board on Friday, at which time more info may be revealed. Stand by.
