SAG-AFTRA members have ratified the 2026 Television Animation Agreement, as well as the 2026 Basic Cable Animation Agreement, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
On Thursday, union leadership confirmed that members approved the new four-year contracts by a vote of 94.5% to 5.05%.
The contracts, which were negotiated based on input from members, are set to provide enhanced protections regarding artificial intelligence. Additionally, the contracts include a 12.6% wage increase over the term of the agreement, residuals gains and increases to the health, pension and retirement plans.
“As someone who often works in TV animation, my heartfelt thanks goes out to the TV Animation Negotiating Committee and co-chairs Bob Bergen and David Jolliffe for putting in the time and effort to get SAG-AFTRA members a dignified deal with essential AI protections,” SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said in a statement.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director and CEO, expressed a similar sentiment, noting, “SAG-AFTRA members who work in TV Animation are entitled to meaningful protections around AI and wages that reflect the value of their labor.”
He added: “My gratitude goes out to TV Animation Negotiating Committee co-chairs Bob Bergen and David Jolliffe and the rest of the negotiating committee volunteers for their extraordinary and diligent work in ensuring animation performers have a sustainable future, and to Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez and the negotiating staff for their expertise and dedication.”
The update follows a headline-making week for SAG-AFTRA, whose president, Sean Astin, recently addressed members’ frustration over declining job opportunities that have made it difficult for many to pay their dues and qualify for the guild’s health plan.
“The bottom line is that no agreement can make studios produce more or make audiences watch,” he said over the weekend. “But what we can do, what your union can do and is doing, is to use every bit of leverage we have to make sure working performers have a place in whatever this industry becomes.”
He added: “We know what you’re up against because you’ve told us. Your experiences do reach the people you elect, and they shape what we do.”
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