SAG-AFTRA set to continue deliberations on studio's latest offer

SAG-AFTRA is on strike

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SAG-AFTRA is set to continue deliberations over the latest offer from the studios and streamers as the two parties try to reach a new three-year agreement that would put an end to the actors’ strike.

“After meeting Monday night with AMPTP, the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee spent 10 hours deliberating today. “We will continue on Wednesday,” the union tweeted late Tuesday night. “We appreciate your patience and support as we finish our work.”

This news arrives after SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee held a marathon session into the night on Tuesday to deliberate on the companies’ latest offer. The night before, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ president, Carole Lombardini, met to discuss the companies’ latest tweaks to their proposals, which included changes to artificial intelligence, sources said. Hollywood Reporter.

The union is expected to provide its response to companies soon. “SAG-AFTRA declines to comment due to our ongoing negotiations and our deep focus on negotiating in good faith to secure a fair deal for SAG-AFTRA members,” a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said.

The parties have been negotiating continuously for about two weeks, and artificial intelligence has remained a major issue throughout. While the union’s initial approach to the rapidly evolving technology in its interim agreement consisted of about four pages of legal language, that length has since doubled as the working group seeks to eliminate any potential loopholes that could affect performers in the next three years.

As of Monday, multiple sources cited studios’ proposed AI regulations for “Schedule F” artists — high-income guild members who earn more than the minimum for regular series and feature films — as a major sticking point for the guild. In addition to the Schedule F issue, the union was also planning at that point to address non-monetary issues.

On Monday, in a statement informing members that the union had submitted its latest proposal to the AMPTP, the SAG-AFTRA bargaining committee said: “Please know that every member of our TV/Theatrical Bargaining Committee is determined to secure the right deal and thus achieve a responsible end to this strike.” They added: “There are many key items that we have not yet agreed on, including artificial intelligence.”

The 2023 actors’ strike is now in its 117th day.

November 7, 11:22 p.m A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP were scheduled to meet on Wednesday. No date has been set for further talks. THR Sorry for the mistake.