SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP Reach a Deal to End the Actors’ Strike
Nearly four months after SAG-AFTRA members went on strike, the performers’ union reached a tentative deal on a new contract with major TV and movie studios on Nov. 8.
The actors’ walkout began back on June 30, effectively shutting down Hollywood as SAG-AFTRA joined the Writer’s Guild of America in striking together against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) for the first time in over 60 years. However, while performers who work on movies, primetime serials, and other types of programs were instructed by the union to strike, their counterparts who work on soap operas were never actually on strike over the past 118 days.
That’s because daytime actors are employed under the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Television Broadcasting (aka Network Code). This covers soaps as well as morning news shows, talk shows, variety shows, reality shows, game shows, and sports. The current Network Code agreement goes through July 2024.
Yet even though they were able to keep working, stars from GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, and DAYS OF OUR LIVES supported their SAG-AFTRA brothers and sisters these past few months by joining them in solidarity alongside them on picket lines.
Among the issues the SAG-AFTRA fought for during the strike were better compensation and benefits, improved residuals with the rising popularity of streaming services, protection for members against artificial intelligence, and regulations on self-taped auditions (which have become more common since the start of the pandemic). According to a post on X, the union told its members that the new contract is a deal of “extraordinary scope that includes ‘above pattern’ minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus.”
On X, Jon Lindstrom (Kevin, GH) shared his thoughts on the new agreement in a video. “Let’s hope this means the future is bright!” he wrote in his post.
We couldn’t agree more!
