Official: End of the strike in Hollywood

Luca Fontana

9.11.2023

Translation: machine translated

118 days ago, actors and actresses went on strike to fight for better working conditions. Since then, Hollywood has been paralysed. A provisional agreement has now been reached and the strike has ended.

It was the longest strike by actors and actresses in Hollywood history. Today, after 118 days, it officially ends. The Screen Actors Guild (SGA-AFTRA) officially announces via X:

This ends a gruelling battle in Hollywood, which was originally started by the Writers Guild Association (WGA) on 2 May. When the Actors Guild joined in on 14 July, Hollywood experienced something it had not seen since 1960: a double strike by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. The super disaster. For months, the production of new cinema films and series seasons was completely put on hold and a number of cinema and series releases were postponed indefinitely.

After the Writers Guild reached an agreement with Hollywood's leading studios on a new collective labour agreement at the end of September, a quick solution for the actors also seemed to be in sight. Instead, weeks of mutual threats and accusations followed, until the Actors' Guild even left the negotiating table altogether in the meantime.

It was not until the end of October that the two sides came closer again. But when there were once again almost daily reports of an imminent agreement, only to be unsuccessfully put off until the next day, nerves were on edge again. A rollercoaster of emotions. Until the happy ending finally arrived last night.

All Hollywood-like.

What did the strikers win?

Both the authors and the actors were concerned with the exploding growth of streaming services at the heart of the negotiations. This is because remuneration packages that were designed for linear television no longer work in the streaming age. The trade unions therefore demanded a revision of the collective labour agreement, in particular the royalties regulation.

Another key demand concerned the use of artificial intelligence (AI): While the writing community feared that it would take over their writing work, actors are afraid for their digital likeness. Today, AI is already being used to digitally copy or rejuvenate the faces of stars and sometimes even put them on the bodies of other people. With the rapid development of deep fakes, voice generators and other AI tools, SAG fears that its members will be completely replaced. It has therefore called for adequate regulation and fair compensation when film and series productions use the digital likeness of their stars.

According to the SAG post on X, these demands have now been met. Specifically:

• A "streaming participation bonus"
• Stricter regulations on the use of AI
• New, higher upper limits for health and pension insurance
• General salary increases for artists and extras

What's next in Hollywood

With the end of the official strike, employees in Hollywood can resume work as normal. Admittedly, the leadership of the Actors Guild still has to ratify the deal recommended by its negotiating committee. But that seems to be just a formality. The strike is already considered to be over with immediate effect.

This means that not only actors and actresses can breathe a sigh of relief, but also an entire entertainment industry that depends on Hollywood. CGI artists and production designers, for example. Or make-up artists, sound technicians, assistants and set designers. Even Starbucks employees who sell coffee inside the studios and have been fearing for their financial security for months. Just like the cinema operators and their staff who are still being exploited by the pandemic.

But as the saying goes? The show must go on.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more