Hollywood actors' union notes disagreements with studios' offer, including AI

[November 07, 2023]  By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine
 
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The Hollywood actors' union on Monday responded to the latest offer from major studios and streaming services, saying the two sides had yet to reach agreement on several items including the use of artificial intelligence.   

The SAG-AFTRA union said its negotiating committee was determined to secure the best deal and bring a responsible end to a strike that has lasted four months.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, speaks next to SAG-AFTRA union President Fran Drescher at SAG-AFTRA offices after negotiations ended with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros Discovery, triggering an actors’ strike, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

"We're at a critical point in our industry," the union said in a note to members posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "We need a fair contract to make sure this career is viable now AND in the future."

SAG-AFTRA members walked off the job in July to demand higher compensation in the streaming TV era plus protections around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other gains.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney, Netflix and other companies, presented what the studios described as their "last, best and final" offer on Saturday.

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in an interview with Reuters on Monday, said negotiations to find a resolution were ongoing.

"We’re at the table all day, every day and we’re trying to get the strike resolved and get the town back to work," Sarandos said at an event at the Egyptian Theatre, a Hollywood landmark that Netflix recently restored.

"We're in the business of telling stories and that’s what we want to do every day," Sarandos added. "We are going to try our best to get things up and running and get the output back up for our fans too."

Last week, union leaders expressed "cautious optimism" that a deal could be reached soon but also said there were gaps between the two sides on various issues. On AI, actors are seeking assurances that their digital likenesses will not be used without their permission.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine and Omar Younis in Los AngelesEditing by Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis & Shri Navaratnam)

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