Talks between SAG-AFTRA Alleges and the major workspaces have broken down, as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers supposed Wednesday that the gap between the sides is “too great.”
In a statement to members after midnight, the combination accused the studios of engaging in “bully tactics”. It said the studios had withdrawn from the bargaining table after refusing to counter the union’s latest offer.
The union expressed “profound disappointment” through the latest development and urged members to show up at picket lines to express solidarity.
The key stumbling block is a union proposal to share in flowing revenue, which the AMPTP says would cost $800 million annually.SAG-AFTRA Alleges said that figure was inflated by 60% and that its proposal would cost the streaming platforms 57 cents per subscriber per year.
“We have negotiated with them in good trust, although last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they planned before the strike began,” SAG-AFTRA Alleges told the membership. “These companies refuse to protect performers from being traded by AI, they refuse to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work produces for them.”
SAG-AFTRA wants a share of flowing revenue for all union-covered shows — both made-for-streaming and films and TV shows qualified from other platforms — which would go well beyond the success-based bonus won by the Writers Guild of America.
“SAG-AFTRA’s current offer included what it considered as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would generate an untenable economic burden,” the studio group said. “SAG-AFTRA Alleges presented few transfers on the numerous remaining open items.”
In its email, however, the union said it had completed “big, meaningful counters ” and completely transformed the revenue share proposal. SAG-AFTRA Alleges suspects the studios of putting out misleading information to weaken the determination of the membership.
“The companies are using the same botched strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA – putting out misleading information to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators,” the union said. “But, just like the novelists, our members are smarter than that, and willpower not be fooled.”
SAG-AFTRA also seeks an 11% increase in the smallest rates to keep pace with inflation. The AMPTP is offering the same deal it gave the WGA and the Directors Guild of America — 5%, followed by increases of 4% besides 3.5%.
SAG-AFTRA Alleges ‘Bully Tactics’
The studios presented their up-to-date offer on Wednesday. The AMPTP said, “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA Alleges is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a prolific direction.”
“We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider in addition to returning to productive negotiations soon,” the AMPTP said.
The AMPTP also spelled out the particulars of its most recent offer, including increases in rates for guest stars, higher pension and health involvement caps, and agreement to most of the union’s demands on self-taped auditions.
The AMPTP also said it has agreed to require consent for using artificial acumen for principal and background actors. The union has also sought to require union sign-off on any use of AI and a prohibition on AI training.
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