New York | US actors agree to deal with studios

New York (dpa) – Members of the US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA have ratified the new contract with the film production houses by a large majority.

This officially marks the end of a month-long strike in the film industry, after the union reached a preliminary agreement a month ago with the association of major studios and streaming providers AMPTP on minimum wages and better insurance conditions.

78 percent of those voting voted to ratify the agreement, which is valid until the end of June 2026, said SAG-AFTRA. “This is a golden age for SAG-AFTRA, and our union has never been more powerful,” President Fran Drescher celebrated the sealing of the contract in a statement.

The studios reached an agreement at the beginning of October with the screenwriters’ union WGA, which had been on strike since May 2023. For the first time in more than 60 years, members of Hollywood’s writers and actors guild went on strike at the same time for more money and better working conditions. The strike had delayed the production of films and series for months.