SAG-AFTRA is set to continue deliberations over the latest offer from the studios and streamers as both parties attempt to hammer out a new three-year agreement that will bring an end to the actors’ strike.
“Following a meeting Monday night with the AMPTP, the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee spent 10 hours deliberating today. We will continue on Wednesday,” the union tweeted late on Tuesday night. “We appreciate your patience and support while we finish our work.”
The news arrives after SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee held a marathon session into the night on Tuesday deliberating over the companies’ latest offer. The previous night, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers president Carol Lombardini convened to discuss the companies’ latest tweaks to their proposals, which included changes to AI, sources have told The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s expected that the union will deliver its response to the companies soon. “SAG-AFTRA declines to comment due to our ongoing negotiations and deep focus on negotiating in good faith to secure a fair deal for SAG-AFTRA members,” said a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson.
The sides have been negotiating continuously for about two weeks, and AI has remained a key issue throughout. While the union’s initial approach to the rapidly evolving technology in its Interim Agreement consisted of around four pages of legal language, that length has since multiplied as the labor group seeks to eradicate any potential loopholes that could affect performers in the next three years.
As of Monday, multiple sources pointed to studios’ proposed AI regulations for “Schedule F” performers — high-earning guild members who earn more than the minimums for series regulars and feature films — as a key sticking point for the union. In addition to the “Schedule F” issue, the union was also planning at that point to counter on non-monetary issues.
On Monday, in a statement informing members that the union had made its latest proposal to the AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee said, “Please know that every member of our TV/Theatrical negotiating committee is determined to secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly.” They added, “There are several essential items on which we still do not have an agreement, including AI.”
The 2023 actors’ strike is now in its 117th day.
Nov. 7, 11:22 p.m. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP were set to meet on Wednesday. No date has been set for more talks. THR regrets the error.
