Actor strike ends with agreement on AI, compensation

By Alvin Wu
Arts and Entertainment
Actor strike ends with agreement on AI, compensation

Actors picket for SAG-AFTRA in front of the Warner Bros. Discovery offices in Manhattan on July 31, 2023. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/Phil Roeder

Nov. 19 (ZFJ) — SAG-AFTRA ended its 118-day strike at 12:01 PT on Thursday, Nov. 9, after the union’s TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee unanimously approved an agreement with provisions on artificial intelligence in films and actor compensation.

On Friday, Nov. 10, the SAG-AFTRA National Board approved the agreement with 86% of the vote. Union members now have until Tuesday, Dec. 5, to vote on ratifying the contract. SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 media professionals.

“At its core, this deal is about our members and making sure they are able to maintain the dignity that comes with a career as an actor and performer,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator. “This deal is possible because of their solidarity and unwavering commitment throughout this process.”

For the first time, the union has secured protections for actors concerning AI. Producers must obtain consent from performers to use digital replicas of them for scenes they didn’t actually shoot. Actors are now also entitled to compensation for the creation and use of their replicas.

Producers must also receive consent and pay compensation to performers whose names and faces are used in AI prompts to generate “synthetic performers” and voices resembling those of real actors.

Also new is a streaming bonus for high budget streaming video on demand (SVOD) series. If the viewing time in the first 90 days of each exhibition year is equivalent to the production being watched by 20% or more of the domestic subscribers to an SVOD service, then actors will be entitled to a “success payment.”

Wages increases include a 7% general raise effective Nov. 9 and a 4% increase effective July 1, 2024, resulting in a compounded first-year wage increase of 11.28%. An additional 3.5% increase will be effective July 1, 2025.

Background actors will receive an 11% wage increase effective Nov. 9 and a 4% increase effective July 1, 2024, for a compounded first-year wage increase of 15.51%. An additional 3.5% increase will be effective July 1, 2025.

The benefit (pension and health) plan contribution cap for one-hour productions has been raised by almost 43%, while the cap for half-hour productions has increased by almost 67%.

“The AMPTP is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and looks forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories,” said the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The AMPTP represents over 350 movie and TV producers, including Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, and many more studios and streaming services.

With the end of the actor and writer strikes, Hollywood is back in business. Production on Avatar 3, Deadpool 3, Spiderman: Beyond the Spider-Verse, an eighth Mission: Impossible film, The Last of Us, Wednesday, Stranger Things, and more has resumed.

Actors from The Marvels rushed to promote the movie after the strike ended (the strike prohibited them from doing so), but the film ended up suffering the worst opening weekend of any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie after it launched on Nov. 10.

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