U.K. entertainment unions Bectu and Equity are celebrating the tentative agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP that is set to end the longest actors strike in Hollywood history.
In an announcement on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA said that the 118-day strike would officially end on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. The deal was approved by a unanimous vote and will head to SAG-AFTRA’s national board for full ratification on Friday.
Philippa Childs, head of film and TV union Bectu, said in a statement on the union’s website: “We congratulate our SAG-AFTRA colleagues on their determination in holding out for a deal that meets their objectives. We wholeheartedly welcome this news after what has been and incredibly difficult period for our members, and the whole U.K. film and TV industry.”
Childs continued, “I want to pay tribute to Bectu members for weathering this unprecedented time and showing solidarity to their fellow trade unionists in the US. It cannot be understated how much U.K. film and TV workers have suffered at the hands of the AMPTP’s failure to reach an acceptable agreement with SAG-AFTRA. This news will come as a huge relief and provide some hope after months and months of instability.”
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, U.K. actors union Equity also congratulated SAG-AFTRA for holding the line during negotiations. “We’re pleased to hear that our sister union @sagaftra has approved a tentative agreement with the AMPTP and that the strike has been suspended,” the post reads. “Solidarity with all who stood strong during this action and we wish @sagaftra the best as they deliberate the contents of this deal.”
Though U.K. unions were not legally allowed to take strike action themselves due to the country’s anti-trade union laws, they showed solidarity throughout the U.S. writers and actors strike by holding rallies. However, due to the strikes’ sweeping effect on production worldwide and industry overlap between the two countries, the U.K. film and TV industries were affected greatly.
