SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly to agree to a new contract with Netflix that would allow actors more freedom to work on shows on other platforms.
The union announced that 89.03% voted in favor of the agreement, which is expected to cover the next four years.
The union was focused on tackling “exclusivity,” according to which television actors were generally prohibited from working on other shows during hiatus. Under the new agreement, Netflix will have to set a three-month period after each season – a “conflict-free window” – during which actors will be allowed to work on any show they want.
The clause was part of an initial agreement reached on August 2, which served as a model for a similar deal the union struck two weeks later with the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance, which represents the studio’s other employers in the collective bargaining.
In a statement, Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, hailed the agreement as “historic” and said it came about because of a “convergence of opportunities.”
“Progress in limiting singularity is fundamental,” Drescher said. “The journeyman actor now enjoys the freedom to work multiple jobs and earn a living with fewer restrictions.”
The union has been pushing for more flexibility for a decade, with no progress. This year, the union sponsored a bill in Sacramento, AB 437, that would have eliminated exclusivity altogether. The Motion Picture Association opposed the legislation, arguing that it would lead to scheduling chaos and make it difficult to order new seasons of shows.
The legislation gave SAG-AFTRA leverage in its conversations and was quickly withdrawn after AMPTP and Netflix agreed to three-month conflict-free windows. Netflix recently joined AMPTP. In the future, its contracts will be negotiated in the same cycle as the AMPTP agreements.
The Netflix contract also includes modifications to the option periods. The actors complained that the studios kept them in limbo while deciding whether to present a new season of the TV show. The new agreement provides for the exercise of the option for a new season within 18 months of the start of principal photography for the previous season. It also states that once the option is chosen, filming must begin within three months. Both periods are subject to limited extensions if Netflix pays a fine.
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