SAG-AFTRA’s Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Lauds Ratified Contract, Talks AI, Healthcare, Turnout & When He Starts Thinking About 2026 Deal – Q&A
deadline.comHollywood’s long strike season is over and the town can finally get back to work without the specter of any more labor action, for now.
Actors were on strike for 118 days, but after ratifying the deal between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, with a very healthy 78.33% of the votes, thesps, scribes, directors and crew — not to mention of all of the associated workers — can head into 2024 with a bit of optimism.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA and Chief Negotiator, who alongside President Fran Drescher and the guild’s negotiating committee spent many months working to secure this deal, spoke to Deadline an hour after Tuesday’s ratification vote.
He evidently was pleased with both the result and the turnout, higher than even he saw coming. The deal, which is worth around $1B over three years, comes with the union’s first-ever protections around AI technology, albeit controversial ones, as well as gains around residuals, particularly the introduction of a streaming bonus, pension and healthcare.
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