SAG-AFTRA, which has been on strike against film and scripted television productions since July 14, is now preparing for a possible work stoppage against the video game industry. The union’s last strike against toy companies in 2016-17 lasted 183 days.

 

The organization’s national leadership voted unanimously to initiate a strike authorization vote for members in preparation for upcoming negotiations with the 10 signatory video game companies. Voting starts on September 5th and ends on September 25th.

“Here we go again,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “Now our agreement on interactive video games is also at a standstill. We must once again fight employer greed and disrespect. Artificial intelligence is once again putting our members at risk by reducing job opportunities. And SAG-AFTRA is once again standing up against tyranny, on behalf of its members.” /em>

The organization notes that the overlap between the two contracts is not accidental, but a predictable problem that affects not only them, but also other industries globally. “The disease of greed is spreading like wildfire, ready to consume people’s livelihoods and usefulness. We at SAG-AFTRA say, ‘No, not under our watch,'” Drescher added.

The 10 companies facing possible strike action are: Activision Productions Inc, Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc, Electronic Arts Productions Inc, Epic Games Inc, Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc, Take 2 Productions Inc, VoiceWorks Productions Inc and WB Games Inc.

Audrey Cooling, a spokeswoman for the video game companies, said: “Everyone wants a fair contract that reflects the important contribution artists make to a world-class entertainment industry. We are negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible.”

“We extended the Interactive Media Agreement almost a year ago, as we are constantly negotiating with the companies. Unfortunately, the companies did not take these demands into account during the negotiations. For this reason, the negotiation committee and the national presidency unanimously came to the conclusion that the union must hold a member-approved strike permit when negotiations resume on September 26,” the union said in a statement.

According to the union, critical issues such as inflation-adjusted wages and protection against the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence are common points of contention during negotiations.

Another demand of the union is that on-camera presenters should be given the same five-minute rest period per hour as off-camera presenters. They also want medical supervision when performing stunts or dangerous work, and protection against vocal stress.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the guild’s national managing director and chief negotiator, added: “Artists who bring video game characters to life deserve a contract that reflects the value they bring to the multi-billion dollar industry. The unregulated use of artificial intelligence poses a serious threat to these artists. .”

The union stresses that a successful strike authorization vote does not automatically trigger a strike, but gives the National Council the opportunity to call a strike if the video game companies do not negotiate fairly with SAG-AFTRA.

Source: Deadline