We are go for strike, people: SAG-AFTRA announced last night that its members are on strike starting today, meaning that all unionized voice actors in the guild are now withholding their work and services from the games industry’s biggest companies, including Disney, Activision, and EA.
The move wasn’t a big surprise, as the union had already issued an ultimatum earlier this week and has already been negotiating for a year and a half since voting in favor of a strike. The guild has held out specifically for AI protections against companies using their voices to train AI.
“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,” writes SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “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.”
GIbiz has a quote from the game producers’ side; the spokesperson says the megacorps are “disappointed the union has chosen to walk away when [the sides] are so close to a deal, and [the companies] remain prepared to resume negotiations. [The companies] have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions.”
Readers will recall the union went on strike in 2016 as well – and eventually got most of what it wanted.
