SAG-AFTRA Voice Actors Ratify TV Animation Deal with 12.6% Pay Rise and AI Protections

SAG-AFTRA members have voted to ratify both the 2026 Television Animation Agreement and the 2026 Basic Cable Animation Agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). An overwhelming 94.95% of voters approved the deals on Thursday. The new four-year contracts run retroactively from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2030. They provide a 12.6% wage increase over the term of the agreement, enhanced protections around AI use, residual gains, and increased contributions to health and pension plans. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin praised negotiating committee co-chairs Bob Bergen and David Jolliffe for delivering what he described as "a dignified deal with essential AI protections." National Executive Director and CEO Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who recently had his own contract renewed, also credited Bergen, Jolliffe, and the broader negotiating committee volunteers, as well as Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez and the negotiating staff, for their work in securing what he called "a sustainable future" for animation performers.