(UPDATE 9/29) SAG-AFTRA Members Authorize Video Game Strike
Bargaining sessions scheduled for September 26-28
Update 9/29
No deal was reached at the end of this week’s negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the parties to the Interactive Media Agreement. A statement was issued by the union on their website:
SAG-AFTRA and video game employers concluded scheduled negotiations for the Interactive Media Agreement. No deal was reached and the current agreement will remain in effect while the parties make final efforts to reach a deal.
Original story follows below
Members of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents nearly 160,000 working in the entertainment industry, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on the Interactive Media Agreement (IMA). 34,687 members cast ballots in the vote, representing nearly 28% of eligible voters. Of those, 98.32% voted in favor of authorizing a strike.
This does not mean the union is striking today. Negotiations have been ongoing with the ten studios/companies that make up the IMA, with the latest bargaining sessions beginning today. SAG-AFTRA’s Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is hopeful about reaching an agreement but stated in a press release from SAG-AFTRA that “our next stop will be the picket lines,” if no fair deal is reached.
The ten partners of the IMA 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.
WB Games Inc.
SAG-AFTRA is bargaining for protections against using AI to replace performers, having a medic present during stuntwork, the same wage increases they’ve sought in their film and television contracts, and barring employers from requesting stunts be done on self-taped auditions.
There have been five rounds of negotiations so far in the year since bargaining began over the IMA. Earlier in the month, Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the companies part of the agreement, stated regarding a potential strike that “We all want a fair contract that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in an industry that delivers world-class entertainment to billions of players around the world. We are negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a mutually beneficial deal as soon as possible.”
We’ll be keeping a close eye on these talks over the next few days and will update with any news.