SAG-AFTRA and the major studios have agreed to continue negotiations on a new contract into next week, a sign that both sides see the value in further discussions.
The performers’ union started bargaining on Feb. 9 for the first time since the 2023 strike. The original expectation was that the talks would run through March 6, leaving a one-week period to allow the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to prepare for talks with the Writers Guild of America, which begin on March 16.
But evidently enough headway has been made to give some hope that a few more days might lead to a deal.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will extend negotiations into the week of March 9, and remain under a mutually agreed upon media blackout,” the two sides said in a joint statement on Friday.
SAG-AFTRA’s contract does not expire until June 30, so the February start date came unusually early. The two sides are working out terms related to artificial intelligence, streaming residuals, and health and pension funding — along with more obscure subjects like exclusivity windows for TV series regulars.
If the two sides cannot reach a deal soon, they will likely break off talks and resume in June — when the deadline pressure will be more acute.
The Directors Guild of America is due to begin its negotiations on May 11. The WGA contract, meanwhile, expires on May 1. All three guilds face issues that result from a dramatic downturn in work since 2022. The WGA and DGA, in particular, are facing major annual deficits in their health funds as a result of the slowdown in work and the rise of health costs.
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