On Wednesday, a source connected to the studio commented, “Progress is ongoing, albeit at a sluggish pace.”
Hollywood will remain in suspense Thursday when the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are set to continue.
Negotiations were ongoing as of Wednesday evening, with discussions revolving around AI, which has proven to be a contentious issue in the resolution of these contract talks, as noted by a source representing the union. Similar to previous bargaining sessions this week, top executives from Hollywood were notably absent from the negotiations. The management side was led by AMPTP President Carol Lombardini.
“Progress continues, although at a measured pace,” noted a source representing the studios on Wednesday.
SAG-AFTRA informed its members after the Wednesday talks that “The Negotiating Committee met today to discuss and finalize our response to the AMPTP AI counter-proposal which we received yesterday. The negotiators then met with AMPTP representatives for more than three hours this afternoon and evening to present and review our revised proposal. We continue to await the AMPTP’s response to our comprehensive counter-proposal package which we gave them on Saturday, addressing outstanding issues.” a source connected
Prior to the commencement of negotiations at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, members of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee, along with President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, participated in a lively “Unity Picket” at Disney Studios in Burbank. Demonstrators chanted “one day longer / one day stronger” as they marched in front of the Disney main gate, holding signs with messages like “Your offer was bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!” and “Bitch Betta Have My MONEY.”
As of Tuesday, a potential agreement appeared to be within reach, despite some unresolved issues, including regulations on entertainment companies’ utilization of AI. On that day, a studio-side source mentioned that it might take a few more days to finalize the remaining deal points, while several prominent actors were informed that a tentative agreement could be reached soon.