SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a four-year agreement with studios and streamers, with 91.42% voting in favor, marking a significant achievement in the union's ongoing negotiations.
Key Agreement Details
The new contract includes a three percent annual wage increase and a one percent health plan contribution hike starting July 1. The deal also addresses healthcare inflation, adjusting eligibility thresholds and premiums.
The union's President, Sean Astin, expressed pride in the membership's unity and the agreement's impact, stating, "This agreement builds on the foundation members fought to establish and carries that work into the next chapter of our industry."
Artificial Intelligence Provisions
A notable feature of the agreement is its stance on artificial intelligence. The contract ensures AI-generated performers are used only when they add "significant additional value" and establishes minimum payment rates and residuals for digital replicas.
Producers must have a valid reason to scan a performer for digital replication, reflecting the union's proactive approach to technological changes.
Microdramas and Future Bargaining
The contract allows SAG-AFTRA to negotiate terms for microdramas if companies produce these projects extensively. This provision highlights the union's forward-thinking attitude towards new content formats.
Negotiations were led by SAG-AFTRA's Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and AMPTP's Greg Hessinger. The AMPTP welcomed the deal, noting its potential to enhance industry stability.
Union Strategy and Long-Term Goals
Crabtree-Ireland emphasized the strategic leverage gained from the companies' desire for a longer deal. "Obviously the companies really wanted a longer term," he said, noting the union's success in addressing priorities through this extended agreement.
This ratification marks a peaceful conclusion compared to the 2023 negotiations, which involved a 118-day strike over AI and streaming compensation issues.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-ratifies-4-year-deal-studios-1236613908/
