SAG-AFTRA Agrees to Federal Mediation with AMPTP

SAG-AFTRA’s TV, theatrical and streaming negotiating committee has agreed to the AMPTP’s request for federal mediation as they seek to reach a new deal.

The extended current contract expires at 11:59 p.m. PT today (July 12). SAG-AFTRA entered negotiations with the AMPTP on June 7 with a 98 percent “yes” vote on its strike authorization. The contracts were extended on June 30.

“We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement,” the actors union said in a statement. “We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal; however, we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement. Furthermore, we condemn the tactic outlined in today’s inaccurate Variety piece naming the CEOs of several entertainment conglomerates as the force behind the request for mediation; information that was leaked to the press by the CEOs and their ‘anonymous sources’ before our negotiators were even told of the request for mediation. The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process. We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”

SAG-AFTRA added, “We are here to get a deal that ensures our members can earn a living wage in our expansive industry we help make possible with our work. The AMPTP can make this happen at any time. They know what our members need and when they bring that to the table, we will be listening, but it’s important to know—time is running out.”