The bargaining session between SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and Hollywood studios (AMPTP), which was scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to allow the actors’ guild to consider the latest offer from the studios.
On Tuesday night, following a meeting between the two groups, the guild informed its members that discussions would continue on Wednesday. This marks a departure from the previous round of talks where sessions were held every other day with both sides engaging in internal deliberation during the off days.
The decision to postpone the session took the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), by surprise. However, they view it as a hopeful sign that progress can be made when the two sides meet again.
The primary point of disagreement in these negotiations has been SAG-AFTRA’s proposed streaming revenue-sharing plan, which the AMPTP has characterized as a “levy” on streaming services. SAG-AFTRA estimated this proposal would average around 57 cents per streaming subscriber, with the revenue intended for the guild, which would then distribute it to performers whose work appears on the streaming service. The AMPTP rejected this proposal on October 11, stating that it posed an “untenable economic burden.”
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While some concessions were made on Tuesday to reach a compromise, such as increased offers from the AMPTP on minimum rate increases, the revenue-sharing plan remains a major point of contention.
The AMPTP has been advocating for a viewership bonus model similar to the one agreed upon with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). They initially believed this would be sufficient to reach a deal with SAG-AFTRA. However, SAG-AFTRA insists that the revenue-sharing plan is a better model to ensure increased pay for performers across the union’s membership for their work in streaming films and TV shows.
Compensation from streaming services remains a key obstacle to ending the 105-day-long actors’ strike. Additionally, other issues still need to be addressed, including minimum rate increases. The union is pushing for an 11% minimum increase in the first year of the contract to ensure that actors’ pay keeps pace with inflation.
Furthermore, there have been no agreements reached on health and pension plan contributions and rules related to consent and compensation for AI-generated replicas of performers.
For Reel 360 News’ full strike coverage, click here.
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