SAG-AFTRA remains on strike as the AMPTP stonewalls, negotiations stall

(Disclosure: The Verge’s editorial workers can also be unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.)

Although the AMPTP characterised its discussions with SAG-AFTRA as “significant,” it pointed to the calls for of the actors guild for higher compensation primarily based on viewership figures as one of many large causes the 2 sides couldn’t attain a brand new settlement. The AMPTP additionally stated that whereas it provided SAG-AFTRA a possible deal outlined by “the identical phrases that have been ratified by the DGA and WGA,” the actors guild refused.

“SAG-AFTRA’s present supply included what it characterised as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would value greater than $800 million per 12 months – which might create an untenable financial burden,” the AMPTP stated. “SAG-AFTRA offered few, if any, strikes on the quite a few remaining open gadgets.”

In keeping with the AMPTP, it was keen to satisfy SAG-AFTRA on “almost all” of its calls for concerning concerning self-tapes and auditions, “the best share enhance in minimums in 35 years” for primary compensation, and bumps in overseas residual pay for reveals airing particularly on “the 4 largest streaming providers.”

“We’re extraordinarily happy with the contract we negotiated and also you overwhelmingly ratified earlier this 12 months,” the DGA stated. “That’s why we’ve been discouraged to see quite a few latest information articles and social media posts misrepresenting the extraordinary positive factors we made.”

In a prolonged assertion posted to its web page on X, SAG-AFTRA accused the AMPTP of making an attempt to make use of bullying ways (which it has finished earlier than throughout negotiations with the WGA) and grossly mischaracterizing the union’s proposals in an try and make them look unreasonable to the general public.

Because the LA Instances studies, SAG-AFTRA has been pushing for a 2 % slice of streaming income just about from the leap as one in all its large asks, together with strong synthetic intelligence protections for actors which can be designed to make sure they’re both compensated correctly for the usage of their likenesses or given a technique to safely choose out of getting them captured in any respect. Although SAG-AFTRA’s made it fairly clear that it has no intentions of budging on these factors, it appears as if the AMPTP is perhaps hoping for the union’s resolve to waver now that its sister group is now not picketing for itself.

That form of logic doesn’t come as a shock, because the AMPTP has repeatedly proven itself to be dedicated to conserving Hollywood’s cash and energy concentrated within the arms of studios. That stated, regardless that the WGA won’t be by itself strike anymore, the group has made clear that it nonetheless stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA, and studios represented by the AMPTP ought to anticipate picket demonstrations (not TV reveals or movies) to proceed till a deal is labored out.