SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, with the unanimous advice of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, has called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement. The walkout is effective as of July 26 at 12:01 a.m.
The decision follows more than a year and a half of negotiations without reaching a deal.
The convenience bargaining group involved in these negotiations includes major companies such as Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc.
To employ SAG-AFTRA talent for covered work, games must adhere to the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement, or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement. These agreements are designed to offer critical A.I. protections for members.
Negotiations began in October 2022, and on September 24, 2023, SAG-AFTRA members approved a video game strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote. Despite agreements on many issues, employers have not provided clear, enforceable language affirming A.I. protections for all performers covered by this contract.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate,” stated SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games, including the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life. They deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year – that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that,” added Crabtree-Ireland.
REELated:
“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation. We refuse this paradigm – we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer. We look forward to collaborating with teams on our Interim and Independent contracts, which provide A.I. transparency, consent and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve,” noted Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh.
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