The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) national board has approved a new contract with major studios, with an 86% approval vote. The official announcement came at a press conference on Friday, after an 80-minute delay.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and members of the union’s contract negotiating committee were present at the announcement. The full details of the contract will be distributed on Monday.
“This victory is everyone’s victory,” said Crabtree-Ireland at the start of the conference. Drescher added, “This is an ongoing, living thing — a contract. And we’re not over. We’re only just beginning.”
The new contract includes a 7% raise in most minimums, a new $40 million residual bonus for actors on streaming shows, and more than $1 billion in new wages and benefit plan funding. Additionally, guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence were announced, with allowances for AI to be used to create “digital replicas” if actors are paid and give their permission.
The tentative agreement, reached on Wednesday, put an end to the union’s 118-day strike, the longest actors strike in Hollywood history. Actors were allowed to return to work on Thursday.
The membership now has to approve the contract by a majority vote, though that is expected to be a formality. The negotiating committee recommended the pact with unanimous approval, marking a rare example of unity among SAG-AFTRA’s factions.
Led by Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, the deal was negotiated on and off from early October until a final marathon push over the past two weeks. The pressure was heightened as the industry is now engaged in a rush to get movies finished for next year’s summer blockbuster season, and TV series up and running before the winter break in December.