The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike has officially come to an end after 118 days.
The guild came to a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Wednesday (Nov. 8), suspending the monthslong strike as of midnight. The agreement is valued at approximately US$1 billion, according to SAG-AFTRA.
The news comes more than a month following the end of the 148-day Writers Guild of America strike.
The deal was met with relief from its sister union, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), which issued a statement shortly after it was confirmed.
“SAG-AFTRA’s collective labour actions have shown the industry that performers will in fact fight in solidarity to get a fair deal for workers,” said Marie Kelly, ACTRA National executive director and lead negotiator. “We congratulate SAG-AFTRA for tackling issues performers are facing globally.”
ACTRA’s current Independent Production Agreement with the Canadian Media Producers Association will be up for negotiation next year, expiring Dec. 31, 2024.
The strike has impacted thousands of jobs in Canada since it began on July 14, with the full scope of the economic effects on the service sector still to be determined.
Screen industry charity the AFC said in September that it had issued an estimated $1.2 million in strike-related financial assistance since May. That figure exceeds the annual budget of its Emergency Financial Aid program, according to the AFC.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) issued a statement on Thursday (Nov. 9), congratulating SAG-AFTRA on the tentative agreement. IATSE represents approximately 34,000 crew members in Canada.
“With this announcement, we are encouraged the resumption of motion picture and television production can begin again,” read the statement. “The prolonged negotiations and resulting shutdown caused intense hardship for workers in our industry throughout the world. With so many facing urgent difficulty making ends meet, it is now imperative the studios work with the entertainment guilds and unions to focus on a swift and safe resumption of production to mitigate further financial strain and prevent unnecessary harm on our community.”
SAG-AFTRA issued a notice to members that the agreement includes “unprecedented provisions” regarding consent and compensation around artificial intelligence, compensation increases, raised caps for pension and health plans, and provisions to protect diverse communities. Specific details of the agreement will not be issued until it has been reviewed by the SAG-AFTRA National Board.
“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work,” said the notice.
“We’ve been following SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations closely. Their issues are the same as our issues. Their fight is our fight,” said ACTRA National president Eleanor Noble. “We look forward to learning the details of the tentative agreement with the AMPTP.”
The union is in an 18-month dispute with the Institute of Canadian Agencies over the National Commercial Agreement, with ACTRA calling for continued boycotts of “union-busting brands” that use non-union actors for commercials.
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