With a view to bringing an end to the actors strike running since July 14th, studio CEO’s have issued what they are calling their ‘last, best, and final offer’ to SAG-AFTRA, and the union have put out a statement saying they are looking over the proposal.
“We received an offer today from the AMPTP, which they characterized as their “Last, Best, and Final Offer,” said the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Negotiating Commitee this afternoon.
“We are reviewing it and considering our response within the context of the critical issues addressed in our proposals,” they added.
The so-called “best and final” language is exactly what the studios said to the WGA in the final days of what were ultimately successful negotiations with the scribes in late September. The phrase and the tactic were widely derided at the time.
Top brass from Netflix, Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Amazon, Sony, Warner Bros Discovery and more spoke with SAG-AFTRA leaders by Zoom for about an hour to discuss the new document.
“This is a full package, forward looking and fair,” a studio insider told Deadline of what the execs put on the virtual table.
“CEOs told them this was a historic package for the guild including strong AI protections,” said an exec close to the negotiations. “SAG-AFTRA now needs to get back to us,” another studio vet stated of where things are.
We hope a fair deal can be reached quickly, allowing actors to return to work as soon as practically possible.
