SAG-AFTRA members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against 10 of the major video game companies. The vote was 98.32% in favor. A total of 34,687 members cast ballots, representing a voting 27.47% of eligible voters. The guild’s last strike against the gaming companies, in 2016-17, lasted 183 days. The guild, meanwhile, has been on strike against the film and TV industry since July 14.
The guild’s board and negotiating committee had already voted unanimously to recommend the authorization vote, which required 75% approval of voting members to pass. Today’s vote, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a strike, but rather, gives the national board to authority to call a strike if negotiations fail to produce an acceptable agreement.
The guild and the companies will resume negotiations on Tuesday, and now that strike authorization has been approved, a strike could come any time after that.
It’s been nearly a year since the guild’s video game contract, known as the Interactive Media Agreement, was extended beyond its original expiration date. “Unfortunately, throughout the negotiations, the companies have failed to address those needs,” the guild said on Sept. 1 as it geared up for another strike.
Many of the issues involved in the ongoing film and TV strike are common to those in the video game contract, including wages and artificial intelligence.
“Here we go again,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said on September1 as the guild was facing the prospect of dual strikes. “Now our Interactive Video Game Agreement is at a stalemate too. Once again, we are facing employer greed and disrespect. Once again artificial intelligence is putting our members in jeopardy of reducing their opportunity to work. And once again, SAG-AFTRA is standing up to tyranny on behalf of its members.”
The 10 companies facing a possible strike 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 spokesperson for the video game companies said, “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.”
