SAG-AFTRA actors to vote on tentative agreement with studios after national board approval
After the SAG-AFTRA national board approved the tentative agreement with the studios, actors are now set to vote on the deal. The national executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, announced that the board approved the deal by 86%, but not unanimously.
“This has been made possible by the membership’s phenomenal solidarity and support for their negotiating committee, and we’re exceedingly grateful for all of the support from the entertainment industry unions who have rallied behind us throughout this strike,” Crabtree-Ireland stated.
Voting is expected to begin soon, and it follows a delay in SAG-AFTRA’s press conference, led by President Fran Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, where some details of the proposals were to be revealed. The delay lasted about 90 minutes.
The voting process is expected to be more complex and time-consuming compared to the recent WGA vote, which saw 99% of WGA members voting for their own three-year deal. With a much larger member base, comprising around 160,000 members, SAG-AFTRA will have more members who will need to vote in person rather than online. This is in contrast to the digitally savvy WGA, which has around 11,000 members, most of whom voted online.
The WGA vote took a week to complete, and it is expected that the SAG-AFTRA voting process will take slightly longer.
The national board that ratified the tentative agreement includes President Fran Drescher, Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher, along with other vice presidents, as well as more than 65 others, including stars such as Sean Astin, Josh Charles, Henry Ian Cusick, Frances Fisher, Elliott Gould, Dulé Hill, Michelle Hurd, Rosie O’Donnell, Billy Porter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sharon Stone, and Lisa Ann Walter.