After nearly 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have arrived at an official tentative agreement, ending the strike once and for all. Both unions are quiet about the details, but the work stoppage is expected to end at 12:01 AM on Thursday.
This new agreement comes about nearly two weeks after both sides reconvened on October 24th. The negotiations began on October 2nd, but the AMPTP refused to budge on specific issues, walking out on October 11th after SAG-AFTRA’s proposal over paying actors a small fee per streaming subscriber. Two weeks after that, negotiations resumed, though both sides remained in a deadlock over different issues, especially AI’s use and the need for permission and copyright. Eventually, SAG-AFTRA finally agreed to the AMPTP’s terms just before the 5 PM deadline.
Many people have cheered for this victory, with SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher congratulating every member for standing their ground and thanking the AMPTP “for hearing [them] and meeting this moment.” “We did it!!!! The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere!” Drescher posted on Instagram.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fully supported the strike’s end and welcomed the final agreement. She is grateful to have the strike end after it has affected most of the city and country. “Those on the line have been the hardest hit during this period, and there have been ripple effects throughout our entire city,” she stated.
However, not everyone is happy about the final agreement. Some actors had written letters about their concerns over the union’s leadership, but they had not published them beforehand over fears that they would affect the negotiations. In an online petition, for instance, nearly 5,000 members demanded the union remain hardened in their negotiations, promising they would refuse to vote for approval if the agreement terms did not match the terms set at the beginning of the strike. “We have not gone without work, without pay, and walked picket lines for months just to give up on everything we’ve been fighting for,” the letter stated. “We cannot and will not accept a contract that fails to address the vital and existential problems that we all need fixed.”
Even so, the agreement will be moved to the union’s national board to receive approval. Afterward, the details will be presented to the members at an undisclosed date to vote for their approval or rejection.
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