Actors’ Strike Negotiations Delayed as Guild Reviews Studios’ Latest Offer

Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the studios that had been scheduled for Wednesday have been delayed in order to give the actors’ union a chance to do a “deep review” of the latest proposal. Negotiations are expected to resume on Thursday. A source told Deadline that the pause is a “step in the right direction” and it’s one that everyone involved is on board with. Negotiations between the union and the studios resumed on Tuesday.

“it’s a step in the right direction and the negotiating committee is taking the time to do a deep review,” the unnamed source told Deadline. The next meeting between SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee and the AMPTP is scheduled for Thursday. The strike is currently in its 104th day.

Tuesday’s negotiations marked the first time the two sides had come back to the bargaining table since October 11the when the studios suddenly suspended negotiations. The last time the groups met at the table, SAG-AFTRA officials say they were presented with one of their lowest offers of the strike.

“We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began,” SAG-AFTRA told the membership (via Variety). “These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them.”

“The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators,” the union told Variety. “But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.”

What’s Going On With the SAG-AFTRA Strike?

The SAG-AFTRA strike started in August, with the union seeking a deal to address many of the same issues already tackled in studio deals with the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the latter of which was on strike earlier this year. Among those issues are concerns about royalty and residual payments as well as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on the part of the studios to reduce labor costs.

The Writers’ Strike Officially Ended Earlier This Month

Earlier this month, Writers Guild of America officials announced union membership overwhelmingly voted in support of the guild’s new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. According to an e-mail distributed by top WGA brass, 99-percent of voters (8,435) voted in favor of the new deal, while just 90 voted against the deal. The union had been on strike for 148 days.

“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership,” WGAW president Meredith Stiehm added in the message to members. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible only six months ago. We would not have been able to achieve this industry-changing contract without WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman, Negotiating Committee co-chairs Chris Keyser and David A. Goodman, the entire WGA Negotiating Committee, strike captains, lot coordinators, and the staff that supported every part of the negotiation and strike.”