SAG-AFTRA strike ends: 7 things you need to know about the deal that ended the 118-day strike

SAG-AFTRA has unanimously voted to end the nearly four-month-long actors' strike in Hollywood. The actors who had joined the already on going writers' strike on July 14, ended it on November 9. As a part of the SAG-AFTRA strike deal, all film and TV promotions and productions were halted. On November 9, the association decided to end the longest Hollywood strike ever by reaching a tentative agreement. The strike came to an end as of November 9 at 12:01 a.m. PT. Earlier, in October, Writers ended their strike after reaching a deal after 148 days since May.

The committee announced, “We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. As of 12:01 am PT on November 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed. We will be in touch in the coming days with information about celebration gatherings around the country.” They have also detailed the terms of the temporary settlement and the new contracts that are in the works. 

What does the contract state? 

Taking to Instagram the official account of SAG-AFTRA noted a few points that will be a point in the new contracts drafted as per settled agreement with the production studios. The contracts are valued at over one billion dollars, as per the committee. The contract scope includes, 

• Above-pattern" minimum compensation increases
• Unprecedented provisions for consent
• Compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI
• Streaming participation bonus, which has been added for the first time
• Substantially raised Pension & Health caps
• The deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers 
• Critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.

Longest Hollywood 'Strike is over'

Hollywood’s actors' union reached a tentative deal with studios Wednesday to end its strike, bringing a close to months of labour strife that ground the entertainment industry to a historic halt. The three-year contract agreement must be approved by votes from the union’s board and its members in the coming days, but the leadership declared that the strike will end at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

At nearly four months, it was by far the longest strike ever for film and television actors. More than 60,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Performers went on strike July 14, joining screenwriters who had walked off the job more than two months earlier. It was the first time the two unions had been on strike together since 1960. Studios chose to negotiate with the writers first, striking a deal that their leadership marked as a major win and bringing their strike to an end on Sept. 26. The terms of the agreement were not immediately released. SAG-AFTRA said details would be made public after a meeting on Friday where board members review the contract. Issues on the table included both short-term compensation and future royalty payments for film and TV performances, along with control over actors’ images and likenesses regenerated with artificial intelligence.

(With inputs from PTI)