SAG-AFTRA strikes finally come to an end after 118 days

The historic SAG-AFTRA strikes finally reached the end as the negotiators for SAG-AFTRA approved a tentative agreement.

The agreement ended the longest actors’ strike against the film and TV studios in Hollywood history, reported ‘Variety’. In an announcement on Wednesday (Pacific Standard Time) the union said the 118-day strike would officially end at 12:01 am on Thursday (Pacific Standard Time).

The union’s negotiating committee approved the deal on a unanimous vote. The agreement next goes to the SAG-AFTRA national board for approval on Friday. The two sides spent the last several days putting the finishing touches on the deal, which will see the first-ever protections for actors against artificial intelligence and a historic pay increase.

As per ‘Variety’, the deal will see most minimums increase by seven percent - two percent above the increases received by the ‘Writers Guild of America’ and the ‘Directors Guild of America’. The deal also includes a ‘streaming participation bonus’, according to an email sent to SAG-AFTRA members, as well as increases in pension and health contributions.

The union said the contract is worth more than one billion dollars in total. “We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers. Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work,” the union said in the email.

The union is expected to hold celebrations around the country.