On Wednesday (Nov. 8), the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced that their widely publicized strike was over. Following the approval of a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the actors’ union officially halted nationwide picketing at 12:01 a.m. PT on Thursday (Nov. 9). Notably, the decision arrived days after Sean “Diddy” Combs advocated for a solution to the ordeal with a cinematic, Halloween-themed clip that he dubbed “The Darkest Knight.”
“In a contract valued at over $1 billion, we have achieved 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,” read a message shared to SAG-AFTRA members. “Our pension and health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much-needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories, including outsize compensation increases for background performers and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.”
Shortly after, AMPTP expressed that the agreement “represents a new paradigm” in a statement of their own, mirroring much of the same stipulations explained by SAG-AFTRA. “[We are] pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and look forward to the industry resuming the work of telling great stories,” wrote the trade association, which represents over 350 American television and film production companies.
In response to the news, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) congratulated the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiating committee. “We’re thrilled to see SAG-AFTRA members win a contract that creates new protections for performers and gives them a greater share of the immense value they create,” they tweeted. As REVOLT previously reported, WGA reached a game-changing deal with AMPTP following a strike of their own. “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the writers’ union expressed back in September.