A month after settling with writers, Hollywood studios have reached a tentative agreement with actors who went on strike themselves five months ago. The resolution ends the 118 day walkout, the longest such strike in the history of Hollywood.
In a statement released last night, the union representing actors—SAG-AFTRA—announced the agreement, which will be put to a vote tomorrow (Thursday). The union joined the writers union, WGA on the picket lines in early June over many of the same concerns that prompted writers to walk out in May over how the industry pays and treats its creative talent in a new media environment where major Hollywood brands have launched D2C streaming services over the past decade as well concerns over the use of AI.
After the WGA settled with the studios last month, negotiations continued with the actors union until this week when the studios pitched what they termed as their “final offer.” Negotiations got more serious in recent weeks with Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav reportedly participating in the discussions.
SAG-AFTRA hailed the new contract, which it said is worth more than $1 billion and announced cessation of the strike at 12:01, Nov. 9.
“We have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes "above-pattern" minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus,” the statement read. “Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.
“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers,” the union added. “Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work.”
The union said that it would release full details of the agreement after the tentative agreement is reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board. It also thanked the WGA for its solidarity.
