There was no picketing Monday by SAG-AFTRA members due to the Indigenous Peoples Day holiday, but the leadership of the actors guild did return to the bargaining table with the studios and streamers.
After wrapping up its latest negotiation session at SAG-AFTRA’s Wilshire Blvd offices, chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and other guild leaders will meet again with the CEOs Gang of Four and the AMPTP in two days.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day,” the parties said in an increasingly common joint statement this evening. “Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.”
The one day-on, one day-off approach has been the norm for SAG-AFTRA and the studios since they began renewed talks a week ago.
“It’s a process, we’re working through the process,” a source close to the talks told Deadline Monday. The three polite but intense bargaining sessions last week involved monologues from both sides of the table and a deep divide over SAG-AFTRA’s revenue sharing proposal. Today saw the guild and studio reps return to talks from a weekend examining proposals from both sides as they aim to end the actors’ almost three-month long strike.
As was the case last week, Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Disney’s Bob Iger were in attendance Monday with AMPTP president Carol Lombardini. The CEOs are expected to participate again at the next face-to-face session with SAG-AFTRA leadership on October 11.
Along with the somber tone across Hollywood due to the horrific attacks on Israel that began over the weekend, today’s SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP talks come the same day WGA membership on both coasts ratified a new three-year Minimum Basic Agreement with a landslide mandate.
SAG-AFTRA picketing is expected to resume tomorrow in Los Angeles at Sony, Disney, Warner Bros and Paramount lots from 9 am to noon PT. In New York City, the guild and supporters will be out at Paramount, NBCUniversal’s 30 Rock HQ, Amazon/HBO and Warner Bros Discovery/Netflix from 9:30 am – noon ET.
Tuesday will be the 90th day that SAG-AFTRA has been on strike.
