SAG-AFTRA released the draft of their deal with the major studios Friday, known as a memorandum of agreement. While they’ve released shorter summaries of the actors’ tentative deal before, this 129-page document dives deeper into specifics as AI protections remain a flashpoint in the ongoing vote by members.
You can read the full deal here.
“As you may know, traditionally SAG-AFTRA contract ratification votes rely on our detailed summaries of the new agreement, as the drafting of a formal memorandum of agreement (MOA) usually takes many weeks,” SAG chief negotiator and national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a release. “However, for this historic deal some members have asked to review the full draft MOA during the ratification voting period.”
Crabtree is quick to once again tout the contract’s gains, noting, “These contracts achieve more than $1 billion in NEW compensation and benefit plan funding (including an additional $317.2 million to the benefit plans).”
That’s immediately followed by his framing of SAG’s gains on artificial intelligence.
“The contracts establish lengthy and detailed AI guardrails that didn’t exist before and do protect you as we meet the challenge of this new technology,” Crabtree’s statement reads, before adding other areas gains were made in, including “hair and makeup equity, significantly increased background coverage, outsized streaming residuals, a new streaming success fund, and so much more.”
Crabtree thanks members for their “sacrifice, solidarity and tenacity over the 118 days of the strike,” before adding that those gains will be assured — if members ratify the deal. He also cautions that the MOA isn’t “final” until it’s signed by both SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP.
The SAG leader pointed back to their previous 2014 deals as reference points, as well as the 2017 and 2020 MOAs that modified those contracts. He also referenced SAG’s contracts site, which includes videos from informational meetings, FAQs and other resources related to AI.
The member vote is set to run until Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.
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