After a grueling 118 days, the actors strike is finally over (or, at least, it will be at one minute after midnight tonight). Following a tense final few days of negotiations, SAG-AFTRA resumed strike-ending talks with AMPTP to secure a new three-year contract, and have now reportedly reached a “tentative” agreement. This resolution comes a little over a month after the Writers Guild of America secured a contract on September 27. Actors and writers were together on the picket lines for a historic double strike that lasted a total of 75 days.
Since it began on July 14, the actors’ strike has been largely concerned with increasing salary minimums, establishing new rules around residual payments, which have all but disappeared in the streaming era, and setting boundaries against the use of AI, which has been a major sticking point in discussions. One of the major drivers for the strike was an initial proposal by AMPTP that included paying a background actor for one day of work in order to scan their likeness for use in perpetuity and without consent or extra pay.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher issued a statement tonight on social media, writing that, “We did it!!!! The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere!Ty sag aftra members for hanging in and holding out for this historic deal! Ty neg comm, strike captains, staff, Duncan & Ray, our lawyers, the IA team , family and friends. Our sister unions for their unrelenting support! And the amptp for hearing us and meeting this moment!”
The writers also won big earlier this fall with a contract securing sought-after AI protections, minimum employment in writing rooms, and updated rules around residuals to more accurately represent streaming popularity.
While the end of the actors’ strike marks a conclusive fade to black on this painful and inspiring chapter in Hollywood history, the industry will feel its effects for a long time to come. Aside from pushed-back premieres and truncated shooting schedules due to Hollywood’s long shutdown, the strikes have—in theory—ushered in a new era of better treatment in a historically exploitative industry. We’ll see in the coming weeks whether this actually sticks in practice.