SAG-AFTRA strike over after 118 days as Netflix, Disney and NBC fans demand filming updates about their delayed shows
SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with studios on a new contract, ending its strike after 118 days.
The strike is set to end at 12:01am PT on November 9, barring any dramatic developments.
On Wednesday, the SAG-AFTRA’s 17-member negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend a tentative agreement to the group’s board, according to Deadline.
It came less than a month after Writers Guild members ratified their own agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
If the board signs off on the deal, eligible members of the actors guild, which is made up of 160,000 actors, will vote to ratify the new agreement.
Additionally, actors and writers could be back to work on TV shows and in writer’s rooms quickly.
SAG-AFTRA’s deal is the culmination of the latest round of negotiations, which began back on October 24.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav were all frequently involved in the talks.
The guild offered a comprehensive counter, which included a package the group described as “historic,” on November 3.
That was succeeded in less than 24 hours by a larger group of studio heads, including executives from Paramount, Amazon, Apple, and others.
STRIKE DETAILS
Hollywood was on strike for roughly six months.
In total, Deadline reports that it has cost the Southern California economy more than $6.5billion and 45,000 jobs in the entertainment industry.
Productions have been brought to a screeching halt, leaving actors and writers out of work and viewers without new shows to watch.
The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA both began striking in May and June respectively.
SAG-AFTRA called the strike after failing to close contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said the studios “left us with no alternative” but to strike.
In a speech delivered at the time, SAG president Fran Drescher said that the “entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, A.I.”
She went on: “This is a very big deal and it weighed heavy on us. At some point, you have to say no, we’re not going to take it anymore. The jig is up… We demand respect. You share the wealth, because you cannot exist without us.”
ACTORS SPEAK
Before the strike, The Nanny actress released a statement vowing to protect the union and its benefits.
She said: “Together we lock elbows and in unity we build a new contract that honors our contributions in this remarkable industry, reflects the new digital and streaming business model and brings ALL our concerns for protections and benefits into the now!”
A number of actors got behind the strike, taking to picket lines as it dragged on.
Olivia Wilde told Reuters: “I support the writers, and I think it’ll affect all of us.”
Actress Wanda Sykes showed support online, posting a pic of herself holding a sign at a protest in May.
Jimmy Fallon, Christopher Nolan, and other big stars were also seen showing their support.