What does SAG-AFTRA mean? As the abbreviation of Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, it represents the employees who produce, report, write, host, or announce news for web content, videos, and podcasts. Covering approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide, it deals with the issue of performers who did not quite earn enough.
  Since 2007, the first strike was launched by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and 11,500 writers from the union participated. The existing Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) between the American Association of Producers (AMPTP), an organization representing large American film and TV production companies, had to be concluded, but negotiations for this purpose fell through. The WGA requested improved treatment, saying that despite the growth of the OTT market which led to more work, the writer’s wages declined. At the start, the AMPTP stubbornly refused, which caused the breakdown. On Sept. 24, the 147th day of the strike, the WGA and AMPTP tentatively reached an agreement. 
  Leaders of the SAG-AFTRA characterized the deal as a big win, with the contract achieving significant breakthroughs on actors’ pay and putting guardrails on the industry’s use of generative AI. First substantially, the increase of minimum compensation. Performers will earn a 7% wage increase effect immediately. Background actors, stand-ins, and photo doubles will earn an 11% wage increase. Next, the disclosure of viewership stats. Previously, platforms like Netflix did not disclose the number of hours the content streamed. This intention was to help actors determine if they were being fairly compensated relative to the show’s distribution and popularity. Bonuses will be paid following the calculation of streaming hours. Also, there are limits on artificial intelligence. There was a tendency to pursue efficiency by using artificial intelligence in production, but by placing limits, writers were able to protect their interests. The new labor contract requires that an increased number of background actors be hired on union terms on the West Coast to equal the minimum number in New York.
  As the WGA had a significant influence on the American film and TV media market, a large number of films and TV programs were halted. An analyst at the Milken Institute, an economic research institute, estimated that the strike caused losses worth 6 billion USD in California alone. It is expected that it will take time for the Hollywood production system to return to normal. By addressing the position of workers, favorable contract terms may have a positive impact on other industries as well.