SAG-AFTRA will meet again with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday after a “productive” day of talks on Tuesday.
Both sides remain “cautiously optimistic” about resolving the strike, which is now in its 110th day. The studios have warned they need a deal this week to produce partial seasons of scripted network TV series.
The union continues to negotiate over the use of artificial intelligence, which has become one of the key remaining issues, though not the only one. The union is not seeking to prohibit studios from using AI to create “digital doubles”, but wants language guaranteeing consent and minimum compensation for such use. The union has also sought to limit the training of AI on previous work and has asked for a provision giving the union veto power over the use of AI.
Once again, four studio CEOs who have been in the room before – Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, NBC Universal’s Donna Langley and Disney’s Bob Iger – were absent from Tuesday’s talks. The four have been out of the bargaining table since last Thursday, leaving AMPTP CEO Carol Lombardini and her staff to negotiate once again.
On Wednesday, the 111th day of the strike, SAG-AFTRA is holding a “unity picket” at Disney’s Burbank headquarters. Pickets at other L.A. locations will be cancelled for the day.
On Monday night, the SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee said that recent talks had been productive, but that the two sides remained “far apart on key issues”.
The union has also urged members to keep up the pressure on the AMPTP by continuing to picket and posting on social media in support of the strike.
