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Listen: SAGAFTRA responds
SAG-AFTRA Responds to Studios’ Final Offer Amid Actors Strike
Summary
• SAG-AFTRA has responded to the studios’ “last, best, and final” offer amid an ongoing actors strike.
• The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers made it clear that their current offer is the best they can do and includes a success bonus for streaming shows, increased minimum rates, and safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence.
• Some union members are dissatisfied with the offer and have urged influential actors to pressure studio CEOs into providing a more favorable deal.
• The AMPTP’s use of “last, best, and final” indicates they cannot make further concessions.
• If SAG-AFTRA agrees to the deal, there is hope that production can resume in January; however, CEOs have warned that certain broadcast shows may not survive.
• Negotiations have mainly focused on AI, and the union is seeking veto power over digital doubles using AI and minimum pay rates.
• The union continues to protest on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, with regular picketing scheduled until Thursday.
After a long negotiation, SAG-AFTRA finally responded to the studios’ “last, best and final” offer. Hollywood is eagerly waiting for a resolution to the 116-day-long actors’ strike.
The union’s negotiating committee dedicated nearly 12 hours on Sunday to craft their response. Although details are scarce, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers clarified in a Zoom meeting that their current offer is the best they can do, and they will not negotiate any further. This offer includes a success bonus for streaming shows, increased minimum rates, and safeguards against artificial intelligence.
Some members of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee have expressed their dissatisfaction with the offer on social media. Four even retweeted a call for influential actors to pressure studio CEOs into presenting a more favorable deal.
While the union can still strive for additional terms, the AMPTP’s use of “last, best, and final” indicates that they have carefully considered the union’s arguments and cannot make further concessions.
To emphasize this point, the studios gathered a larger group of CEOs than usual on a Zoom call, including leaders from Paramount, Sony, Amazon, and Apple.
If SAG-AFTRA agrees to the deal, there is hope that production can resume in January. However, the CEOs have warned that they may not be able to salvage 13-episode seasons of certain broadcast shows.
Up until the meeting on Saturday, much of the negotiation revolved around the use of artificial intelligence. The union is seeking veto power over the creation of “digital doubles” using AI and wants minimum pay rates for using AI to create digital likenesses, as well as strict consent requirements.
In the meantime, the union continues to protest on the picket lines in New York and Los Angeles. Regular picketing is scheduled until Thursday, with Friday off in observance of Veterans Day.