Summary

The actors strike officially ends as SAG-AFTRA ratifies a new deal with studios. The strike began in July, objecting to an insufficient offer from the AMPTP. 78.33% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of the deal, surpassing the required majority.

The actors strike has officially come to an end, with SAG-AFTRA ratifying its new deal with studios. The actors union went on strike back in July, objecting to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ offer for a new deal, which was deemed insufficient. The strike came to a tentative close in early November when SAG and the AMPTP reached a deal, but the ratification vote didn’t begin until a week later.

Now, Deadline reports SAG-AFTRA members have approved the deal and thus ended the strike. 78.33% of ballots voted in favor of the deal, which is well over the 50% + 1 majority required to ratify it. According to SAG, 38.15% of members voted, a notable increase from past years. Union president Fran Drescher said in a statement:

“I’m proud of our SAG-AFTRA membership. They struck for 118 days to grant the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee the necessary leverage to secure over $1 billion in gains, along with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology. Now they’ve locked in the gains by ratifying the contract. SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle. This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful.”

In 2020, 27.2% of members voted on the then-new deal, and in 2017, 15.3% did.

Explaining The End Of The Actors Strike

The end of the actors strike played out differently from that of the writers strike, which also took place this past summer. The Writers Guild of America reached their tentative deal with the AMPTP on September 24, and it was ratified about two weeks later. SAG-AFTRA’s deal has been under closer scrutiny for the past month, largely due to the issue of AI. One of the actors’ main points during the strike was preventing studios from using AI to replace performers, and even after the deal was made, some actors spoke up and insisted that it wasn’t enough to protect guild members.

AI is likely the reason why only 78.33% of voting members approved the deal, a stark contrast from the 99% who approved the WGA’s deal. Nevertheless, there are many actors who have been vocal of their support for the new deal, including Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto. Now that the deal has been ratified, it will be in place until June 30, 2026.

In many ways, Hollywood has already returned to business as usual. Within a day of the strike coming to its tentative end in November, actors were back at work promoting and shooting projects that were delayed. The ratification of the SAG-AFTRA deal ensures these projects won’t need to be halted again, and that actors can get the proper wages and treatment they deserve. After a historic year, this chapter of Hollywood’s labor movements has come to an end.

Source: Deadline