In a monumental move, members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union have cast their votes on a new contract for Hollywood actors. As the prospect of a unanimous decision fades and criticism over some notable aspects of the deal remains, it appears that the outcome could be close.
The two-year agreement — an important step in the industry’s effort to recover post-Covid — is aimed at providing film and television actors with a greater compensation from streaming platforms. It also has provisions for actors participating in more dangerous stunts and workplace safety on set.
However, the agreement has drawn criticism from some of its largest advocacy members over certain unpopular poisions, such as the proposed elimination of the stunt coordinator requirement. Members also raised issues about how residual payments would be determined for streaming and new media platforms.
More recently, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation has called for a “no” vote on the contract, citing a lack of transparency in the bargaining process and claiming that the deal “does not address the fundamental issue of wages and residuals for new media.”
With deadline for the vote looming, time is running out for the two parties to reach an agreement. Sources suggest that which ever way the vote falls, it could potentially be a close one.
This voting process reflects the larger dynamic in the industry between worker and employer, where the balance between sustaining the long-term health of an industry and securing the wellbeing of its workers can be a difficult one to strike.
It bears repeating that this is the second contract negotiation in just a couple of years, with the previous negotiation ending in 2018 over similar issues. As the deadline approaches, the industry is sure to be watching the outcome of this vote very closely.