SAG-AFTRA members have approved a four-year agreement with major studios, which introduces new rules regarding synthetic actors and merges the union’s two pension funds.
Among those who voted, 91.4% endorsed the contract, while 8.6% opposed it. The turnout represented 19.3% of eligible members.
According to the contract, producers can utilize AI performers only if they offer “significant additional value” compared to a live actor or the actor’s digital avatar. The union contends that this language, along with an arbitration clause, will restrict the use of AI replicas to a few exceptional cases.
“We feel very confident what we’ve been able to achieve here is in the vanguard of what any industry wants to achieve,” stated Sean Astin, the union’s president, during an interview last month.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, mentioned in a statement on Thursday that the agreement builds on the gains from the 2023 actors’ strike. This includes a clause allowing the use of actors’ AI replicas only with their permission and compensation. He also emphasized that the deal enhances residual terms and will “ensure synthetics remain the exception in our industry instead of the rule.”
“Most importantly, this agreement positions our members to shape the future of this business while protecting the value of human performance and creativity,” added Crabtree-Ireland.
However, some union members have expressed concerns that studios might face minimal restrictions in employing AI performers and have called for stricter limitations. The union will receive notice and a chance to negotiate if studios start using synthetic actors, but they will not be able to initiate a strike over this matter until 2030.
With the rapid evolution of AI, some argue that opting for a four-year term, instead of the usual three, could be a misstep. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has prioritized securing a longer period of “labor peace” in all union negotiations this cycle, seeking to prevent a recurrence of the 2023 strikes.
The union’s national board had earlier voted 89% in support of the agreement, though a few objected to the merger of the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and the AFTRA Retirement Fund. These funds have been separate since the union merger 14 years ago, amid concerns from SAG members about a potential bailout of the AFTRA plan.
The contract stipulates an additional 1% contribution from studios into the combined pension plans, and union leaders assert that this setup will benefit participants in both plans.
Peter Antico, a former secretary-treasurer candidate, has opposed the pension merger, which still requires agreement from other contributing employers. He described the merger in a LinkedIn post as a “recipe for disaster.”
Similar concerns emerged during the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which led to a significant reduction in benefits a few years later. Union leaders argue that these situations are not comparable and maintain that actuarial projections for the pension merger indicate stability for the merged plan in the long term.
In customary fashion, the AMPTP extended congratulations to SAG-AFTRA for ratifying the agreement.
“This agreement provides meaningful improvements in wages, pension and health benefits, streaming residuals, and performer protections,” stated the studio group. “SAG-AFTRA’s leadership demonstrated a genuine commitment to collaboration, and along with the WGA agreement, these deals exemplify what is possible when the industry works toward practical solutions for its long-term stability. We look forward to building on that momentum.”
The AMPTP is still negotiating with the Directors Guild of America, whose contract is set to expire on June 30. The primary issues in this negotiation include jobs, AI, and health care.
