Hollywood Workers Strike Landmark Deal with Major Studios on Pay and AI Protections

The Hollywood film and television workers represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have come to a precarious three-year deal with major studios, including Disney and Netflix. Details unveiled on Tuesday feature big pay increases and provisions that guard against AI solutions’ automation of jobs.

They were structured to provide scale rate increases over three years, which stand at 7 percent, 4 percent, and 3.5 percent, respectively. In relation to AI, the deal includes several points that prohibit an employee from giving AI prompts that could potentially cause job loss.

This deal comes months after the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the studios reached a large labor dispute in late 2023, putting a stop to film and TV production for almost six months. That contract also contained provisions for issued raises, streaming bonuses amounting to over $1 billion over three years, and provisions on AI in the filmmaking process.

The IATSE deal is quite crucial in achieving better remuneration and employment opportunities for the film industry’s lesser-known workers as technology continues to advance at a disturbingly rapid pace. As their representatives in the union get ready for member voting, the provisions of the deal are believed to be a positive achievement for employees in the changing environment in the production of movies as well as television shows.