Hollywood Actors Union Sag-Aftra ratifies contract ending strike
Image source, Getty Images
Sag-Aftra members went on strike for 118 days against major television and film companies.
Although the actors have already returned to work, the ratification officially ends the strike that began on July 14.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) said 78% of members voted in favor of the multi-year contract. The participation rate was 38%.
The actors won $1bn (£790m) in new compensation and benefits as well as protection from the studios’ use of artificial intelligence.
“This is a golden age for Sag-Aftra, and our union has never been stronger,” said union President Fran Drescher.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios including Netflix and Walt Disney, said “the industry and the jobs it supports will be able to return at full strength” after the three-year contract is ratified.
A tentative agreement was reached between SAGAFTRA Studios and Hollywood last November, bringing an end to the 118-day strike that had paralyzed the entertainment industry and disrupted many major films and television shows.
Watch: Sag-Aftra actors get new contract. What’s inside it?
The deal includes, among other things:
- Immediate 11% salary increase for key actors.
- A remaining bonus of $40m (£32m) is for actors working on series or films released via streaming services that become hits.
- AI protections that require “informed consent and fair compensation” for any artist living or dead
- New requirements for makeup and hairstyling, including experts for performers with diverse hair types and skin types
- The first ever requirement to employ intimacy coordinators on set for scenes involving sex and nudity
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the bloc’s chief negotiator, said that although the deal was not “perfect”, it had achieved “a lot of really important gains”.
He added that it’s a deal he’s “really proud of.”
Image source, Alison’s Dinner/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph was among the actors seen on the picket line during the strike
Although Hollywood stars earn millions of dollars, many lesser-known actors often struggle to get by, especially amid rising inflation and changes in the industry.
The 118-day lockout was the longest in the union’s 90-year history.
Actors’ and writers’ strikes are estimated to have cost California’s economy more than $6.5bn (£5.26m), according to trade publication Deadline.
In November, high-profile actors, including Zac Efron, Jamie Lee Curtis and Octavia Spencer, were among those who welcomed the deal.
