US Actors' Union Ends Longest Strike in Hollywood History
Actors' union Sag-Aftra announced today that its 118-day strike will be "officially suspended" at 12:01am on Thursday and that all picket lines will be closed.
On Wednesday, the union reached a deal to end the longest strike in Hollywood history after the union's negotiating committee spent several days discussing important issues, including working conditions, pay and artificial intelligence, The Guardian reports.
"In a contract worth more than $1 billion, we have reached an extraordinary agreement," the union said in a public statement.
The union also noted that among the victories were bigger than expected: an increase in minimum compensation, the first "streaming bonus" and "unprecedented consent and compensation provisions that will protect members from the threat of AI".
This means that Hollywood can start production for the first time since May, after all union members vote to ratify the agreement in the coming weeks.
The actors' union has been fighting for a higher base salary, residuals, and a ban on the use of artificial intelligence in film and television. These concerns were shared by writers and screenwriters, who fought for similar protections in their contracts.
Sag-Aftra began its strike in July, when top stars went on picket lines from Los Angeles to New York to offer their support.
Actor George Clooney called it "an inflection point in our industry" and said that change was necessary for the "survival of the industry".
With the strike bringing film and television production to a standstill, affecting the awards season and causing financial and psychological damage to working actors, the parties have come under increasing pressure to reach a solution.
As a reminder, this year's 80th Venice Film Festival was held in a very shortened format amid the Hollywood strikes.
Earlier, the organisers postponed the Emmy Awards due to a strike by screenwriters and actors. The 75th awards ceremony was originally scheduled for 18 September 2023. However, the US Television Academy and Fox, the TV channel responsible for broadcasting the event, which had been negotiating for several weeks in an attempt to reach a compromise, said the ceremony could take place in January 2024.