The big news: AFTRA did indeed ratify its contract with the studios and networks. The hysterical news: it didn't even muster a 2/3rds majority. The WGA contract by comparison was approved by over 90%. It seems that many actors did actually listen to what SAG was saying and did believe that AFTRA's contract was garbage, but not enough to derail it.
Nikki has the three press releases but I can summarize them here without even having to read them -- they all think that they won. AFTRA thinks it won because SAG didn't crush it into oblivion like it deserved. AMPTP thinks it won because now it thinks it can use AFTRA's retarded DGA-esque "victory" to crush SAG into oblivion. SAG thinks it won because it got over 26,000 actors out of 70,000 to vote no on a bad deal, even if it passed anyway.
The difference is that SAG is the only one that's really right here. AFTRA, like the DGA, actually wanted to fail, and did so both efficiently and timely. AMPTP is going to say whatever it can steal from a four-year-old, and SAG nearly pulled off a miracle in getting over a third of AFTRA to vote no.
Talks between SAG and the AMPTP are not happening right now but I guess there is supposed to be a meeting on Thursday, at which the AMPTP will apparently offer its second "last, best offer." Isn't it cute when kids get all blustery and serious?
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