The end of strikes in Hollywood? There is a preliminary settlement
The longest actors’ strike in Hollywood history will end on Thursday following a tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA and a coalition representing studios and streaming services. A few weeks ago, striking screenwriters signed a similar agreement.
The agreement, which still needs to be ratified by union members, would end a bitter 118-day strike over contentious issues including the use of artificial intelligence-generated “digital doppelgangers” and demands for higher royalties from streaming services. The 160,000-member actors’ union announced the agreement on Wednesday after days of intense negotiations. Studio executives presented a proposal on Friday that they described as their “last, best and final” offer.
Agreement with actors
In a statement, the group representing studios and streaming services said the agreement would provide actors with “the largest contractual gains in the union’s history, including the largest minimum wage increase in the last 40 years.”
The group, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said the deal includes new royalties for streaming programming and “consent and indemnification protections” covering the use of artificial intelligence.
Strikes in Hollywood
The actors took part in pickets on July 14, joining members of the Writers Guild of America who had been on strike since May. It was the first time since 1960 that both Hollywood unions had struck at the same time, and the loss to the California economy was estimated at $5 billion.
The strikes had various effects on studies. Warner Bros Discovery warned on Wednesday that they would harm the company’s ability to meet debt reduction targets. Disney, however, stated that the strikes reduced television production costs.
