Breakdown in talks to resolve actors strike

AMPTP claims that SAG-AFTRA's current offer that would include a collective fee to cover streaming revenues would cost more than $800 million per year, creating an untenable economic burden

By Tom Butts

Published: October 12, 2023 Updated: October 15, 2023

AMPTP claims that SAG-AFTRA's current offer that would include a collective fee to cover streaming revenues would cost more than $800 million per year, creating an untenable economic burden

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Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images Negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA to resolve the actors strike that began in July have been suspended after SAG-AFTRA presented its most recent proposal on Wednesday.

After meaningful conversation, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction, the Alliance Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a statement Wednesday night.

The most contentious issue is over streaming revenues: AMPTP claims that SAG-AFTRA's current offer that would include a collective fee (which the actors union describes as a viewership bonus ) to cover streaming revenues would cost more than $800 million per year, creating what the studios said would be an untenable economic burden .

SAG-AFTRA responded that the actors union negotiated with AMPTP in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began, adding that the studios intentionally overstated the cost of the streaming revenue proposal by 60 per cent.

The AMPTP's statement included details over proposed resolutions to the ongoing strike, which began in July after the actors union voted to join writers who had been on the picket line since early May. That walkout was resolved two weeks ago.

AMPTP says it offered actors the highest increase in minimums in 35 years, generating an additional $717 million in wages and $177 million in contributions to pension and health plans during the contract term. It also offered a 76 per cent increase in high budget SVoD foreign residuals for the four largest streaming services, as well as substantial increases in pension and health contribution caps, ranging from 22-33 per cent. It also offered double-digit wage increases for extras and stunt performers as well as additional job protections.

On AI, AMPTP said it offered to put rules in place that would give actors more control over the use of Digital Replicas or Digital Alterations and establish guidelines for renumeration.

AMPTP said on common issues, such as general wage increases, high-budget SVoD residuals, and viewership bonuses, the AMPTP offered the same terms that were ratified by the DGA and WGA. Yet SAG-AFTRA rejected these. We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiation soon.

SAG-AFTRA was having none of that

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