SAG‑AFTRA, AMPTP Resume Talks, Target Pre‑DGA Deal
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- SAG‑AFTRA will resume talks on Monday after a March pause to accommodate the WGA.
- SAG‑AFTRA aims to secure a tentative agreement before the DGA begins negotiations on May 11.
- Duncan Crabtree‑Ireland says SAG‑AFTRA will not accept the AMPTP’s longer contract length unless studios concede additional AI protections.
- SAG‑AFTRA is willing to consider a four‑year contract, while a three‑year deal is ruled out, according to union sources.
- WGA’s recent four‑year contract is expected to be mirrored by SAG‑AFTRA and AMPTP, with both sides likely to give up a year from their original proposals.
- WGA’s new agreement includes higher residuals and minimum rate increases, but its health plan remains financially strained.
- WGA’s AI clause requires studios to alert the union when licensing writers’ work for AI training, though it does not provide pay for such use.
Why it matters: A four‑year deal matching the WGA’s contract would lock in longer AI safeguards for actors, require studios to concede on AI usage, and increase emphasis on pension funding for SAG‑AFTRA and DGA, altering Hollywood union contract priorities and affecting health‑benefit funding.
