LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Picketers walk the picket line outside Paramount Studios on September 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Members of SAG-AFTRA and WGA (Writers Guild of America) have both walked out in their first joint strike against the studios since 1960. The strike has shut down a majority of Hollywood productions with writers in the fourth month of their strike against the Hollywood studios. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Negotiations between the union representing striking actors and Hollywood studios have been suspended following a meeting Wednesday.
"After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction," AMPTP said in a statement.
Wednesday's meeting continued as an alternate-day pattern of face-to-face talks that began when negotiating teams finally sat down with each other for the first time last week. The parties worked independently on Tuesday, according to the union.
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According to AMPTP, the union sought a viewership bonus that "by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden."
The union did not release a statement following Wednesday's meeting. It's previously said it is seeking an 11% general wage increase for its members, protections and transparency when it comes to AI and relocation expense reimbursement for principal actors among other benefits.
Bargaining sessions also took place last Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- the sides' first talks since SAG-AFTRA walked off the job in mid-July.
Wednesday's talks comes two days after the Writers Guild of America overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year labor deal with the studios, closing the book on a strike that began May 2.
The writers contract is likely to be used as a template on some issues during negotiations between the studios and SAG-AFTRA -- although actors are seeking steeper increases in salary.
The WGA deal includes stepped increases of minimum salaries that jumped by 5% upon ratification, 4% in May 2024 and 3.5% in May 2025. There are also increases in health and pension contributions.
The writers contract also includes restrictions on studios' use of artificial intelligence, barring AI from writing or rewriting literary material and preventing AI-generated material from being considered source material, meaning it can't "undermine a writer's credit."
In addition, the writers deal includes a new residual formula for streaming program that boosts pay for particularly successful programs.
SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 actors.
