SAG-AFTRA‘s national board has approved the tentative agreement between the actors union and studios and streamers.
The board voted to accept the deal with 86 percent approval, national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said at a press conference Friday. Members of the 160,000-strong union will vote on ratification of the deal in the coming weeks.
Crabtree-Ireland and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher gave broad outlines of the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at the press conference, including “above pattern” increases in minimum salaries, a bonus for actors who work on successful streaming series and regulations on the use of artificial intelligence.
“This victory is everyone’s victory,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “AI protections for performers mean the preservation of tens of thousands of jobs” — from set and costume designers to drivers and caterers — “as well as all of the small businesses that serve the entertainment community.”
In extended remarks, Drescher recounted how the union’s leadership “deflected their intimidation tactics” and held out for key elements of the deal including the streaming bonus and AI protections.
“From July 14 to Oct. 3, we never heard from the AMPTP,” Drescher said. “We said, what are they waiting for, are they trying to smoke us out? Honey, I quit smoking a long time ago. I think they realized they were facing a new kind of leadership.”
More to come.
