With Hollywood’s writers back on the job and select shows hitting the airwaves again, all eyes are shifting towards actors. SAG-AFTRA has announced the resumption of negotiations with top studio executives scheduled for Monday.
Key issues such as AI, streaming residuals, and minimum rate increases will be discussed in the first formal bargaining talks between SAG-AFTRA and major Hollywood employers since the union’s strike began on July 14. The negotiations are set to take place at SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Miracle Mile, with a similar group of senior industry executives who played a role in the recent Writers Guild of America settlement expected to participate, including Disney CEO Bob Iger, NBCUniversal chief content officer Donna Langley, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. These discussions follow the resolution of the Writers Guild of America strike after 148 days.
The recently negotiated three-year contract by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) provides a foundation for SAG-AFTRA to adapt to actors’ specific needs.
However, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher emphasized that actors have unique requirements, indicating a departure from the traditional pattern bargaining practice that created uniformity among WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA contracts. While the WGA achieved significant victories in its contract negotiations, including improved payment terms for screenwriters, writing teams, and comedy-variety show scribes, SAG-AFTRA is expected to follow suit, particularly in terms of payment terms for vulnerable members like extras, background actors, and day players.
SAG-AFTRA is also looking to address issues related to generative artificial intelligence and the reuse of actor likenesses using advanced rendering technologies. Additionally, the union seeks an increase in streaming residuals and a significant raise in minimum rates to offset the impact of recent high inflation on working actors’ finances.
Discussions between SAG-AFTRA and management have been ongoing since the strike began.
(Source: Cynthia Littleton | The Variety | NBC News)
