SAG-AFTRA, Studios Set to Meet Again Today

HOLLYWOOD — Talks between union and studio negotiators will resume today in an attempt to end the actors' strike, which has reached 110 days, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced.

"The committee worked independently today. We will be meeting with the AMPTP Tuesday," the union announced Monday night, referring to its TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios

"While talks over the past week have been productive, we remain far apart on key issues."

The studios have warned that unless a deal is reached this week, it will be impossible for the broadcasters to salvage half a season of scripted television, the entertainment trade newspaper Variety reported. The 2024 summer movie season is also increasingly in peril, as more and more films have been delayed to 2025, according to Variety.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's top negotiator, appeared on the picket lines on Monday morning, and told Variety he remains "cautiously optimistic" about the talks.

The actors' union demands include general wage increases, protections against the use of actor images through artificial intelligence, boosts in compensation for successful streaming programs and improvements in health and retirement benefits.

Crabtree-Ireland told Variety Monday the union is still pushing to limit AI consent to a single project. He said the studios instead want a consent to be valid for the entire run of a franchise.

— By City News Service, Inc.