SAG-AFTRA's Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Hopes For 'Productive Bargaining' With New AMPTP President Greg Hessinger Ahead Of 2026 Negotiations
SAG-AFTRA has weighed in on the appointment of new leadership at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers ahead of the union's negotiations with the major Hollywood studios next year.
'Greg Hessinger has extensive knowledge of the industry and is an experienced negotiator,' National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement to Deadline on Tuesday. 'We look forward to productive bargaining with him as we continue to represent and advance the interests of all performers.'
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Hessinger is the former National Executive Director of the Screen Actors Guild, having taken up the post for about six months in 2005, before the merger with AFTRA. However, prior to his SAG top job, Hessinger also served as the National Executive Director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
No stranger to labor negotiations, Hessinger also previously served as Director of Labor Relations for CBS.
The AMPTP's succession plan comes nearly five months after the organization announced that its president of 15 years, Carol Lombardini, would be stepping down this year. Hessinger assumes his new position on April 14, and Lombardini will take on an advisory role.
'Carol Lombardini has given decades of service and broke ground as the first female lead negotiator for the employers. We wish her well as she steps into an advisory role with the AMPTP,' Crabtree-Ireland concluded.
Hessinger is taking over on the heels of a relatively contentious previous bargaining cycle, when both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America went on strike for more than 100 days. His experience on the other side of the negotiating table could indicate a new dynamic to come between the AMPTP and the guilds as they begin early talks in the next few months, ahead of next year's formal bargaining cycles.
The WGA's contract expires on May 1, 2026, and the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA agreements both expire on June 30, 2026.
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