SAG-AFTRA
The SAG-AFTRA negotiating team is meeting to discuss the studio’s latest offer, a conversation that could lead to a final union-side vote on the deal.
Following its discussion since Tuesday night on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ latest proposal, the negotiating team met around 11 a.m. Wednesday, a union source said, and the group voted at that time on the shape of the final package, which the group will send to AMPTP President Carole Lombardini for management to sign off on. Must see. The source added that there would be a final adjustment by the union on the approval of Generative AI to send to AMPTP, which would not be a deal breaker.
A separate union side says that after the negotiating body — a group of 17 voting members and 17 non-disabled members who work on a general consensus basis — compiles the final vote on the deal, it will announce to members whether they support it. Evidence.
Several sources expressed hope that a final vote and agreement could take place on Wednesday. SAG leadership expects the negotiating team to vote unanimously to support the agreement reached with AMPTP, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
The negotiating team spent 10 hours on Tuesday talking about the companies’ latest deal, and the team reported to members that night. “We appreciate your patience and support as we complete our work,” they said.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslau called the studio offer “final and final” on an earnings call Tuesday and said it “met all of the union’s goals.” He added, “We recognize that our creative partners need to feel valued and rewarded, and we look forward to getting back to the business of telling great stories on both sides.” Meanwhile, in a CNBC interview the same day, Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was “hopeful” that a deal for the actors would be found soon. He added of the 2024 film slate, “Obviously, we want to try to secure summer movies, the whole industry is focused on that, and we don’t have a lot of time to do that.”
But the negotiating team’s vote is only one step in a larger process. As stated therein SAG-AFTRA ConstitutionAll national multi-employer collective bargaining agreements — such as the TV/Theatrical deal — must be approved by the union’s national board and ratified by its members.
Kim Masters and Rebecca Keegan contributed reporting.
