The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike officially ended on Nov. 8 with a contract that spans over 128 pages. The proposed contract deals with issues such as AI use, fair pay for actors and writers and royalties from streaming services. The strike officially commenced on July 14, 2023—the first industry-wide strike to take place in the past 60 years. The central conflict in the strike is the issue of pay for both actors and screenwriters. SAG-AFTRA represents over 150,000 industry members in movies and television, meaning the strike stopped actors and writers from producing and promoting content. It’s been unusual for fans all over the world to not have any promotional content from actors, along with their favorite shows and movies being postponed.

The ratification date for the proposed contract was Dec. 5, 2023, where SAG-AFTRA members took a vote to approve the terms. The vote resulted in a 78.33 percent approval rate, solidifying the new deal. The contract includes protections from AI, a new streaming success fund, sufficient raises, better hair and makeup services and requirements for intimacy coordinators on set. The president of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Dreschner, and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, have been lauded by members of the unions for their efforts in obtaining this deal. Well-known productions like “Stranger Things” can now move forward with making the new season, and movies that just came out, such as “The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” can have their actors promote the film through appearances, interviews and social media posts. This 118-day strike has been sure to leave its mark on the film industry.