SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland attributed the mostly drama-free agreements in this round of negotiations to a new mindset, "because the studios and streamers came to the table with a different perspective." With 160,000 members working in film, television and video games, SAG-AFTRA is the largest and most influential union of its kind globally. Members of the actors' union are voting on a newly negotiated agreement that was approved by the national board earlier this month, ahead of the current contract's expiration at the end of June. "The tone of the negotiation was much more collaborative and a lot more creativity was brought by both sides, so I really believe that the 2023 strikes -- while they were very difficult for all of us -- did help effectuate a reset in the relationship between the studios and the unions in general," Crabtree-Ireland told AFP.Approval would mean avoiding a repeat of disastrous 2023 strikes that shuttered productions, costing studios billions of dollars, while actors stood their ground against AI and other issues.AI's evolutions
Actor Kevin Bacon joined SAG-AFTRA members and supporters during the 2023 strike in front of Paramount Studios in New York City © Michael loccisano / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
