SAG-AFTRA talent union calls for strike against game companies over AI

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood talent, announced it has called for a strike against the big video game publishers.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director & chief negotiator acting under the authority delegated by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, and with the unanimous advice and counsel of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement, effective July 26 at 12:01 a.m.

Today’s vote to strike comes after more than a year and a half of negotiations without a deal. The strike comes at a time of heightened activity around unionization for the game industry. In the past week, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft team and Bethesda Game Studios voted to unionize.

In response, the game companies issued this statement.

“We are disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to a deal, and we remain prepared to resume negotiations,” said the spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement, Audrey Cooling. “We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our offer is directly responsive to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections that include requiring consent and fair compensation to all performers working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”

The convenience bargaining group with whom SAG-AFTRA is negotiating includes Activision Blizzard, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take-Two Interactive, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games.

Any game looking to employ SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work must sign on to the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement. These agreements offer critical A.I. protections for members.

Negotiations began in October 2022 and on Sept. 24, 2023, SAG-AFTRA members approved a video game strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote. Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their AI language.

“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,” said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, in a statement.

“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,” said Crabtree-Ireland, in a statement. “That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and 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.”

“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,” said Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh, in a statement.