SAG-AFTRA members ratify contract with AI terms and pension merger
SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a four-year contract with the major studios that includes new provisions on synthetic actors and a merger of the union’s two pension funds.
Of those who cast their votes, 91.4% voted in favor of the contract and 8.6% were against. Attendance was 19.3% of eligible members.
The contract allows producers to use AI performers only if they provide “significant added value” compared to a live actor or that actor’s digital avatar. The union has argued that the language — combined with an arbitration provision — will limit the use of AI replicas to a handful of edge cases.
“We are confident that what we have been able to achieve here is at the forefront of what any industry wants to achieve,” Sean Astin, president of the union, said in an interview last month.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, said in a statement Thursday that the deal builds on gains made during the 2023 actors’ strike, which included a provision allowing actors’ AI replicas to be used only with their consent and for a fee. He noted that the deal improves on remaining terms and “will ensure that synthetics remain the exception in our industry rather than the rule.”
“Most importantly, this agreement allows our members to shape the future of this company while protecting the value of human performance and creativity,” Crabtree-Ireland said.
But some within the union have warned that the studios will face few restrictions on using AI artists, and have called for tighter restrictions. The union will also be given notice and a chance to negotiate if studios start using synthetic actors, but won’t be in a position to call a strike on the issue until 2030.
Given the pace of change in AI, some have argued that it would be a mistake to agree to a four-year term – instead of the usual three years. The Alliance of Film and Television Producers has made an extended period of “labor peace” the top priority in all union negotiations this cycle, as the studios are keen to avoid a repeat of the 2023 strikes.
The union’s national board previously voted 89% in favor of the deal, with a handful objecting to the merger of the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and the AFTRA Retirement Fund. The funds have remained separate since the two unions merged 14 years ago, amid concerns from SAG participants about an alleged bailout for the AFTRA plan.
The contract includes an additional 1% contribution from the studios into the combined pension plans, and union leaders have argued that participants in both plans will be better off as a result.
Peter Antico, a former candidate for secretary-treasurer, has led opposition to the pension merger, which still requires approval from other contributing employers. In a LinkedIn post, he said described the merger as a ‘recipe for disaster’.
Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed a few years later by a significant reduction in benefits. Union leaders have argued that the two cases are not the same, and that the actuarial projections on the pension merger make it clear that the combined plan will remain stable well into the future.
In keeping with custom, the AMPTP congratulated SAG-AFTRA on ratifying the deal.
“This agreement delivers meaningful improvements in wages, retirement and health benefits, streaming residuals and artist protections,” the studio group said. “SAG-AFTRA’s leadership brought a genuine commitment to partnership, and together with the WGA agreement, these deals demonstrate what is possible when the industry works on practical solutions that support long-term stability. We look forward to building on that momentum.”
The AMPTP remains in discussions with the Directors Guild of America, whose contract expires June 30. The key issues in those negotiations are jobs, AI and healthcare.
