SAG-AFTRA members vote to ratify contract, ending months-long Hollywood strike saga

In what could be termed a major breakthrough in the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA strike, the actors union ratified a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representingmajor studios and streamers.

On Tuesday, the members of SAG-AFTRA voted to ratify the contract with about 78 per centin favour. The union said about 38 per centof members turned out to vote. The agreement expires on June 30, 2026.

“SAG-AFTRA members have remained incredibly engaged throughout this process, and I know they’ll continue their advocacy throughout our next negotiation cycle,” union president Fran Drescher said in a statement.

The ratified contract caps a months-long saga, which included a nearly four-month strike that had paralysed the industry, halted productions across mediums in Hollywood and raised questions over the future of the entertainment business.

Hollywood actors and producers reached a tentative deal on November 8 which marked the end of the strike which had its share of uncertainties in terms of negotiationsand agreements in the earlier months.Last month, 86 per centof the union’s national board had voted to approve the tentative agreement.

SAG’s roughly 160,000-member body spent about three weeks voting on whether to ratify the deal.

SAG-AFTRA said the deal included groundbreaking raises, benefit increases and protections around artificial intelligence in a press conference on November 10.

The contract includes $1 billion in new wages, benefit plan funding and a participation bonus for actors on successful streaming shows.

The union said there will be appropriate hair and makeup services for all performers. There will also be requirements for intimacy coordinators for scenes requiring nudity or simulated sex. There will also be pensions and health caps for the union members.

(With inputs from agencies)