SAG-AFTRA’s Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Is “Cautiously Optimistic” As Two Sides Return To Negotiating Table
Rosy Cordero/Deadline
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are back at the table today for more talks to resolve the actors strike that has been going on for over 100 days.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator at the union, told Deadline that he was “cautiously optimistic” about talks with the studios.
Crabtree-Ireland made a quick stop to Paramount where the union was hosting the Hip Hop Alliance and its co-founder Kurtis Blow before heading back over to the guild’s Wilshire Boulevard offices for talks with the likes of Carol Lombardini, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCU’s Donna Langley, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav.
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“We are having continued negotiations today and we’re 100% focused on making a fair deal at the table. That’s where it’s going. That’s what it’s all about. I am cautiously optimistic that can happen. I don’t really want to characterize what’s going on in the room but we’re really focused on just staying prepared and focused on getting the negotiations done,” he told Deadline.
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“There’s a lot of people out there who have rumors going around and whisper campaigns and things like that. We’re not paying attention to that, we’re focused on the negotiations and really eager to see us reach a deal as soon as possible,” he added.
It comes as talks scheduled for Wednesday didn’t happen after all, although that was more as a result of SAG-AFTRA wanting more time to look over the latest proposals from the AMPTP to be able to consider it, run the numbers and come back to the studios with their thoughts.
“This happens all the time in these kinds of negotiations. Shows people are serious, and that’s a good thing,” one source told Deadline.
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