US President Joe Biden on Friday, Nov. 10, applauded the tentative agreement between Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, stating that “collective bargaining works.”

This came following the cessation of SAG-AFTRA’s nearly 4-month actors strike after having reached an agreement with the representative of production companies.

“Collective bargaining works. I applaud SAG-AFTRA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for working together in good faith towards an agreement that allows our entertainment industry to continue telling the stories of America,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

“When both sides come to the table to negotiate in earnest they can make businesses stronger and allow workers to secure pay and benefits that help them raise families and retire with dignity,” he added.

The US President noted that workers have won historic victories to “ensure record pay, record benefits, and an economy that grows from the middle out and bottom up.”

Biden underscored that SAG-AFTRA members will have the final say on the matter, but stated that their sacrifices would echo a better future for them, their families, and every worker who deserves a part of the value they helped create.

The SAG-AFTRA members began the writers and actors' strike in July to urge production companies for better pay and working conditions in the industry amid threats of artificial intelligence (AI), subscription-based viewing, and declining residuals.