SAG-AFTRA, studios agree to extend contract amid labor negotiations
The Screen Actor's Guild and Hollywood studios have agreed to extend their contract hours, before it was set to expire.
"After thorough deliberation it was unanimously decided to allow additional time to negotiate by extending the contract until 11:59 p.m. PT on July 12, 2023," tweeted SAG-AFTRA, which represents over 100,00 actors.
In early June, before entering negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — which represents the major Hollywood studios — union members overwhelmingly authorized a strike if their contract talks stalled.
"No one should mistake this extension for weakness. We see you. We hear you. We are you," the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee wrote in an open letter.
In a letter sent to SAG members last month, the union listed a number of demands expected to be discussed later this week, including benefit plans, member protections from "erosion of income" by inflation and reduced residuals, unregulated use of artificial intelligence and demands for self-taped auditions.
If the two sides fail to reach a deal by the July 12 deadline, over 100,000 may join the thousands of writers already picketing outside major studios in Los Angeles and other parts of the United States.
In May, the Writers Guild of America reached an impasse with AMPTP, forcing film and TV productions to a grinding halt.
Just last week, Directors Guild of America members ratified their own three-year contract with AMPTP after the two sides had negotiated for just over three weeks time.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Paramount Global, which owns CBS and KCAL News, is part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In addition, many KCAL News anchors and reporters are SAG members. However, they operate under a different contract and are not part of the pending negotiations. Also, many KCAL News producers and writers are WGA members. However, they are on a separate contract.
