SAG-AFTRA members vote to ratify landmark treaty

Hollywood Breaks New Ground: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Revolutionary Deal

In a historic move, SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly (78%) in favor of ratifying a transformative agreement. With approximately 38% of the union's 160,000 members participating in the ballot, this landmark treaty marks the culmination of a captivating saga that saw a month-long vote, along with a nearly four-month strike that brought the industry to its knees, raising existential questions about the future of entertainment.

After a year of intense negotiations, Hollywood's actors and producers reached a tentative agreement on November 8th. With 86% approval from the National Council, this preliminary accord paved the way for the eventual acceptance by membership.

The ratification process took SAG approximately three weeks to complete.

Optimism surrounds this provisional agreement. Speaking on the occasion, SAG President Fran Drescher called it "historic" while the studio hailed it as heralding "a new paradigm for Hollywood, television, and actors."

The strike by SAG members, which commenced at midnight after a provisional agreement was struck, brought to an end one of Hollywood's most punishing work stoppages in history.

AMPTP expressed joy with the preliminary agreement, hoping to resume production while telling the media, "We are happy to have reached an initial agreement, and we look forward to resuming production and telling great stories."

While the agreement's terms remain contentious, some SAG members have expressed concerns, particularly over AI protection. Some have taken to social media using the hashtag #SAGAFTRAVOTENO to voice their displeasure about alleged insufficient protection against new technologies.

Contrasting this, WGA members voted a staggering 99% in favor of approval.

An official statement was released by the union on December 12th, with member Bryan Cranston accompanying it on February 2nd, preferring "yes" for the "hotly contested contract proposal."

"No party will receive everything they desire or hope for. That is the obvious truth in every labor dispute," Cranston wrote.

Post-Thanksgiving, the union published the entire 128-page contract for members' review.

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This groundbreaking agreement addresses several essential concerns, particularly in the context of actor remuneration in the digital age. Its implementation could potentially redefine Hollywood's future and establish a new blueprint for the broader entertainment industry.

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Intelligent Enrichment

This landmark treaty tackles a host of crucial matters relating to actor remuneration in the digital age. Among its key elements are:

1. Actor Consent for Digital Replicas:
2. Explicit Consent: Studios cannot employ digital imagery, voices, or performances without prior explicit consent from actors[1][4].
3. Digital Doubles and Synthesized Voices: A fair compensation framework has been established for the use of digital doubles or synthesized voices, ensuring actor compensation for the utilization of their likeness and voice[1].
4. AI-Generated Scripts:
5. Human Involvement: AI-generated scripts cannot replace human screenwriters during the creative process. If AI-generated scripts are used, writers must be adequately compensated for their revisions and edits, acknowledging their active participation and role as authors of the final work[1].
6. AI Monitoring Committee:
7. Annual Assessments: A dedicated AI monitoring committee has been established to conduct annual evaluations of AI technologies' impacts on the industry. The committee comprises union and studio representatives tasked with proposing updates to the collective bargaining agreement to keep up with technological advancements[1].
8. Transparency and Copyright Protection:
9. Actor Involvement in Content Personalization: Performers will remain informed about their contributions' use within content personalization systems on streaming platforms, ensuring greater transparency and safeguarding copyright[1].
10. Compensation Models:
11. Bonus Payments: New agreements with streaming platforms include significant bonus payments, like $40 million annual bonuses for top-performing shows[2].
12. Writer Bonuses: Minimum staffing rules have been set, requiring a minimum of six writers for pre-greenlight rooms, and bonus payments ranging from $9,000 to $16,400 per TV episode for writers[2].
13. Foreign Streaming Residuals:
14. Increased Residuals: The Directors Guild secured a foreign streaming residuals agreement, increasing foreign residuals from leading streaming services by 76%, marking a significant stride in the struggle for fair streaming-era compensation[2].
15. Guiding Principles for AI Use:
16. SAG-AFTRA's AI Guidelines: The union has outlined guiding principles for AI use, including a performer's right to consent to or veto the creation of a digital replica, negotiate limits on the uses of a digital replica, ensure secure storage and protection of digital replicas, and appropriate compensation for using AI content[4].

These provisions collectively seek to shield actors' rights and livelihoods in the face of emerging AI technologies, setting a precedent for other industries to follow while addressing the integration of AI and its implications on workers.