By Lucy Verlaque
Elm Staff Writer
On Nov. 8, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists ended their 118-day strike after reaching a tentative deal with production companies.
According to previous Elm coverage, SAG-AFTRA began striking on July 13 alongside the Writers Guild of America, who had been striking since May 2. The unions were protesting workplace issues such as poor treatment from production studios and low compensation for their work.
“I think that it was really helpful for SAG to join the WGA in terms of putting even more pressure on the studios,” Visiting Assistant Professor in Communication and Media Studies Dr. Stephanie Brown said. “The corporations are so big and have so much power…it’s so important that [the unions] actually joined together to push for what they want.”
WGA was the first union to end their strike after coming to a tentative contract agreement with production studios on Sept. 27. The contract was ratified on Oct. 9, with 99% of the union’s members voting in favor, according to previous Elm coverage.
However, SAG-AFTRA remained on strike for six weeks after WGA reached their initial agreement.
Negotiations continued between SAG-AFTRA and production companies as actors remained apprehensive about issues such as the use of artificial intelligence. According to the LA Times, “Actors have worried that artificial intelligence could be used to create digital replicas of performers, replacing the need for actual actors in the background — a source of income for scores of performers.”
Financial compensation was another pressing concern for actors. The entertainment industry’s migration from cable television to streaming services has diminished the amount of residuals actors earn from their work, according to the LA Times.
“The cable network television business…was extremely profitable. But [production companies] all jumped on the Netflix streaming bandwagon, and no one has figured out how to make that as profitable,” Dr. Brown said. “The industry has shifted so that a lot of people can’t make a living anymore.”
The terms of the strike-ending deal are outlined in a 128-page contract, which has yet to be approved by the union, according to Variety.
In a news update to SAG-AFTRA members posted on Nov. 24, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland summarized key details of the contract and linked the full draft for members to read through.
The contract’s terms include “detailed AI guardrails” as well as “hair and makeup equity, significantly increased background coverage, outsized streaming residuals, a new streaming success fund, and so much more,” Crabtree-Ireland wrote.
If approved, these benefits would amass to $1 billion of added compensation for actors.
Although the majority of the union’s board approved the deal, some actors still have reservations about moving forward.
This dissatisfaction centers on “the language surrounding AI and the use of digital replicas,” as members worry it would still allow “studios to take advantage of actors and their images,” according to Rolling Stone.
Despite these lingering debates, it is likely the contract will be approved due to economic necessity.
According to the LA Times, “The dual strikes have caused an estimated $7 billion in economic damage.” In addition to writers and actors, many other workers within the entertainment industry had been without jobs for the duration of the strikes.
SAG-AFTRA members have until Dec. 5 to vote on the proposed contract’s ratification, leaving the foreseeable future of the entertainment industry uncertain.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: The SAG-AFTRA strike ended on Nov. 8 after agreements were made between the actors and production companies.