The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has called a strike, effective at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow (July 26).
The strikes come after SAG-AFTRA’s National Board unanimously agreed earlier this week to allow its chief negotiator to call an immediate strike at will in an attempt to protect voice actors fighting for job security as more and more studios explore generative AI.
National executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, acting under delegated authority from SAG-AFTRA, says the strike comes “after more than a year and a half of negotiations (on the Interactive Media Agreement) without an agreement.”
The convenience bargaining group SAG-AFTRA is negotiating with includes Activision, Blindlight, Disney, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomnia, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions and WB Games.
SAG-AFTRA says it was campaigning to offer critical AI protections for members by requiring that “any game seeking to employ SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work must sign either the new Tiered Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interactive Media Agreement, or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement.”
However, SAG-AFTRA claims that while agreements have been reached on “many issues important” to its members, “employers refuse to state clearly, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language.”
“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in revenue every year. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games,” said Crabtree-Ireland.
“That includes SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as film, television, streaming and music artists: fair compensation and the right to informed consent for AI use of their faces, voices and bodies.
“Frankly, it's shocking that these game studios haven't learned anything from the lessons of the past year: that our members can and want to stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with regard to AI, and the public supports us in that.”
In a statement to Gaming Industry.bizAudrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers involved in the IMA negotiations, said:
“We are disappointed that the union has decided to walk away when we are so close to reaching an agreement, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations. We have already found agreement on 24 of the 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions.
“Our offer directly addresses SAG-AFTRA's concerns and extends important AI protections including requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”