Strike over! Now what? SAG-AFTRA announced on Friday that its national board has voted to approve a three-year contract with Hollywood studios, with 86 percent in favor of the strike-ending deal. “This victory is everyone’s victory,†chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a press conference announcing the news. The new contract, valued at more than $1 billion, will next be sent to the roughly 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA for ratification. According to the union, voting will start on November 14 and end in the first week of December.
SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher joined Crabtree-Ireland at Friday’s press conference, taking the opportunity to reminisce on the negotiation process. For example, she claimed that the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television tried leaking numbers to the press that relied on things like “creative accounting,†“funny money,†and “phantom expenses.†Drescher said the union pushed back, demanding to see how every dollar would benefit its members. “That was something that made a big difference,†she said. “Because when we say we made a deal for $1,011,000,000, that’s real money that they had to yield to.†She also criticized characterizations of herself as either too aggressive or too frivolous (“I can have a plushie toy with me, and I can lead, and I can still rock a red lip!â€). Ultimately, the conference served as a mini-celebration of what SAG-AFTRA has accomplished. “I can proudly say we began this journey for the largest entertainment union in the world, and we finish it the most powerful,†Drescher said. Talk about SAG-AFTRA strong!