Negotiations Between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP to Resume After Writers’ Strike Ends
Lead negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are set to return to the bargaining table on October 2nd. This comes after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently resolved their concurrent strike on September 26th.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA announced that they will resume negotiations for a new TV/Theatrical contract, with several executives from AMPTP member companies in attendance. The negotiations lead, Duncan Crabtree Ireland, and union president, Fran Drescher, are expected to approach the negotiations with renewed fervor following the resolution of the WGA strike.
Backchanneling between Crabtree Ireland and four prominent media CEOs, including Disney’s Bob Iger and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, is said to have taken place immediately after the writers reached a tentative agreement. The creative community and various intersecting businesses expressed relief as the 146-day war between the WGA and studios/streamers finally came to an end.
The AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA had not resumed bargaining in good faith since the union, consisting of approximately 160,000 members, declared a strike on July 14th. The strike had considerable collateral damage, impacting the worldwide box office and the fall film festival cycle. Due to the strike, star talent was prohibited from promoting work made by “struck” companies, resulting in quiet red carpets in Venice, Telluride, and Toronto.
However, a select few film and TV projects managed to secure a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, allowing them to continue production or enabling their stars to participate in promotional activities. Some of these projects include Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” and the upcoming holiday release, “The Iron Claw,” starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White.
While Crabtree Ireland and Drescher have been eager to return to the bargaining table, the union has also been dealing with other strike matters. Most recently, the union voted overwhelmingly to cease work for ten major video game companies. Crabtree Ireland explained that the decision was made as the video game companies were unwilling to meaningfully engage on critical issues such as compensation, AI usage, and safety.
As negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP resume, industry insiders are hopeful for a resolution that benefits both parties and allows the entertainment industry to move forward smoothly.