President Biden is commending SAG-AFTRA and the Hollywood movie studios for reaching a tentative deal to end a months-long strike, contending “collective bargaining works.”
“I applaud SAG-AFTRA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for working together in good faith towards an agreement that allows our entertainment industry to continue telling the stories of America,” Biden said in a statement issued by the White House on Thursday.
Biden’s praise came a day after a tentative deal was reached to end the four-month strike — the longest in SAG-AFTRA’s history and which paralyzed the entertainment industry. The Hollywood actors union agreement included a pay raise for its members, along with protections against artificial intelligence.
“When both sides come to the table to negotiate in earnest they can make businesses stronger and allow workers to secure pay and benefits that help them raise families and retire with dignity,” Biden said.
“Over the last three years, workers have won historic victories that ensure record pay, record benefits, and an economy that grows from the middle out and bottom up,” he added.
“SAG-AFTRA members will have the final say on this contract, but the sacrifices they’ve made will ensure a better future for them, their families, and all workers who deserve a fair share of the value they helped create,” the president said.
Union members must vote to ratify the three-year contract in the coming weeks.
