SAG-AFTRA Agrees to Federal Mediation in Effort to Avoid Potential Strike

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has agreed to the studios’ request for federal mediation in an effort to bridge the divide in stalled contract talks.

In a statement released Tuesday night, SAG-AFTRA said it was committed to the negotiating process and would explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal. However, the union expressed doubt that the employers had any intention of bargaining toward an agreement.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents all major Hollywood studios, had requested federal mediation in an effort to reach a deal. SAG-AFTRA said it had agreed to the “last-minute request” in order to avoid a potential strike.

The current contract between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP expired on June 30, and the two sides have been in negotiations since then. The union has been pushing for increased wages and better working conditions for its members, while the studios have argued that the current economic climate makes it difficult to meet the union’s demands.

The federal mediation process is expected to begin in the coming weeks, and both sides have expressed hope that it will lead to a successful resolution. In the meantime, SAG-AFTRA said it would continue to negotiate in good faith and remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to its members.