SAG-AFTRA Looks Ahead To 2026 Contract, Eyes Sit Down With Studios Over A.I. Next Month
06.05.2024 - 19:13
/ deadline.com
Following 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA secured a deal with the studios that was worth over $1B that it said had ““unprecedented provisions”.
But the guild isn’t resting on its laurels, it’s already looking ahead to its next contract with the AMPTP in 2026.
Over the weekend, SAG-AFTRA’s EVP, Linda Powell, LA VP Jodi Long, who is also LA Local President and SAG-AFTRA VP, Actors/Performers Shari Belafonte were in Denver at SeriesFest to discuss the contract and what’s next for the guild.
The trio discussed the contract gains, including new money for healthcare, protections on AI, new measures on self-tapes and the guild’s new streaming residual bonus.
But they also highlighted the fact that there’s another contract to negotiate in 2026.
Powell said she was “feeling ready for the next fight”.
“We’re watching A.I., we’ve got a lot of legislation going on to try and cover some of the loopholes in A.I. but I think we’re also going to watch how that technology develops and be ready to make any changes or tweaks or additions that need to be made. There’s some that we left on the table that that we’re going to go back and try again. The exciting thing is that I feel like we’re in a more powerful position because of having a struck that [the studios] take us very seriously now, as they should. There’s a sense among membership that we can push the envelope a little more, and it’ll bend,” Powell said.
Long praised the leadership of Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and admitted that while being a little more “rested” since November, they’re still a “little shell-shocked”.
“I do think that we’re going to see what comes up, we’re also going to address it every six months, even the self-tapes. There’s stuff that is being