SAG-AFTRA Negotiations Resume as AI Agreements Remain Elusive
Updated with SAG-AFTRA statement: SAG-AFTRA negotiators spent Thursday afternoon in a holding pattern, waiting for a response from management to its most recent counterproposal. The union confirmed late Thursday that talks would resume on Friday.
After 112 days, the strike against TV and film producers has become the longest in SAG-AFTRA’s history. Agreements around AI technology continue to frustrate both sides. Management claims the union is too focused on “what if” scenarios involving the fast-changing generative AI technology, while actors argue that AI poses an existential threat to their livelihoods.
In a message to members, SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee expressed confidence in their approach. They awaited responses from management on their AI counterproposal and the comprehensive counterproposal presented five days ago. The committee looks forward to continuing negotiations with the companies.
Sources close to the situation report frustration from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), claiming that SAG-AFTRA introduced several late additions to their demands this week. The union, however, argues that these issues have always been on the table but were previously considered lower priorities.
SAG-AFTRA delivered a “comprehensive” counterproposal on Saturday and has yet to receive a response. The two sides remain “far apart” on key issues, according to the union. On Wednesday, they spent three hours delivering a detailed response on AI.
Critics outside the negotiations express frustration with the slow pace of progress, attributing it to a lack of urgency from one side or the other.
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP resumed in October but fell apart on October 11 due to significant disagreements on streaming residuals, wage increases, and AI. However, the sides reconvened on October 24 and have maintained steady communication since then.
The industry keeps a close eye on the situation as the window for Hollywood to produce movies or TV shows before the year ends is rapidly closing. The months of labor strife this year have taken a financial toll on actors, writers, and other stakeholders in the creative community, mirroring the resurgent labor movement across various sectors of the US economy.