Overview
- SAG-AFTRA’s national board approved the tentative agreement Monday and sent it to the full membership for a ratification vote, with leadership planning member briefings to explain key terms.
- The deal adds new AI guardrails that favor hiring human performers, allows “synthetic” characters only when they add significant value, and sets enforcement through arbitration, plus tighter rules on scans and digital replicas.
- The contract orders a merger of the SAG and AFTRA pension plans targeted for January 1, 2028, with employer contributions rising by 1 percent, a change leaders say will help members who split earnings between plans qualify for benefits.
- Compensation terms include 3 percent annual minimum-rate increases, a 1 percent hike to the health-plan contribution starting July 1, and a bigger share for the union’s streaming success fund, rising from 25 percent to 35 percent of a performer’s base residual.
- Internal debate continues as some members object to the pension merger and AI language, while the DGA has opened its own talks on similar issues and the WGA already ratified a four-year deal built on a large studio infusion into its health plan.