SAG extends negotiation deadline due to agreement failure.
Deadline Extended for Union and Media Companies
After failed negotiations between the union representing entertainers and media companies, the two parties have agreed to extend their deadline. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) had originally aimed to reach an agreement with major companies such as Amazon/MGM, Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney/ABC/Fox, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, and Warner Bros. by midnight on June 30, when their previous contracts expired. However, negotiations will now continue until July 12.
Continued Negotiations and Potential Strike
“The agreements, which were set to expire at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight, will now expire on July 12, at 11:59 pm PT,” SAG-AFTRA explained in a statement late Friday. “The parties will continue to negotiate under a mutually agreed upon media blackout.”
The negotiations began on June 7 and were preceded by an overwhelming 97% vote to strike by the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members if a new contract is not established. As a result, SAG-AFTRA offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for the holiday, indicating that further negotiations will take place later next week.
“The SAG-AFTRA National Board will meet on July 13, 2023, to assess whether a satisfactory deal has been reached. Based on that assessment, the National Board will determine whether to declare a strike,” the statement continued. “Members should be prepared for the very real possibility that the National Board will declare a strike of the Codified Basic Agreement and Television Agreement effective as early as July 13, 2023.”
Writers Guild of America Strike Continues
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) remains on strike for its ninth week, with over 11,500 writers involved. The WGA is also in conflict with the same group of studios, networks, and streamers over higher wages.
Interestingly, the last time both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA were simultaneously on strike was in 1960, during Ronald Reagan’s tenure as the union president before his presidential campaign.
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