SAG-AFTRA is trying to avoid another strike, but the actors union still has a lot of bones to grind with video game companies in their latest contract negotiations.
One of SAG-AFTRA's key challenges will be getting gaming companies to agree to protections for the use of generative AI, something the union fought hard in negotiations with TV and film studios last year. That was one of the biggest problems.
But the video game giant is unlikely to give in, and SAG-AFTRA is likely to enact a work stoppage again, this time focusing on actors who play voice-over roles in games.
“Obviously, a strike is always a last resort for us, because it causes great disruption not only to our members and businesses, but also to other workers and other people who are part of the industry. ” said SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Duncan.Crabtree Ireland said variety He spoke in an interview at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week. “So we take that responsibility very seriously. And it's never our first choice. We got permission to strike on this contract months ago, last fall. And The authorization to strike was approved by 98% of members.
Six months after the September vote, Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA Dialogue Chair Sarah Elmaleh, and the rest of the union team say they hope a deal won't have to be reached and that they are “on the path to a deal.” I have been working hard to find it. Crabtree Ireland said it would act on the near-unanimous decision. “But ultimately, companies need to move away from the idea that these protections are limited to only a small group of performers who work for them, because it is never something a union or group of performers can do. 'I'm willing to agree,' he added.
Crabtree-Ireland said that if a deal is not reached due to potential public reaction, “these contradictions” will “come back” to video game companies. “Consumers who are consuming data will say, 'How can you say you're an ethical and responsible user of AI, but at the same time deny AI protections to some of the people who helped make these games possible? Are you in denial?'” Crabtree-Ireland said.
Although SAG-AFTRA does not currently have a timeline for when it will end negotiations and go on strike, even though the current contract has already expired, now is the time for Hollywood studios to begin negotiations. Maybe. maybe You will be able to intervene with game companies to move things forward.
After a deal was struck last year between actors, studios and streamers, Crabtree-Ireland said he was “definitely aware that there was some movement” on “the position of some game companies” regarding the terms of the new deal. It's from the body. And the fact that some Hollywood studios have sister game studios within large media conglomerates means that executives in one division have the opportunity to pressure executives in other divisions to sign deals.
There is also a huge benefit for television and film, as they can avoid halting game development and production. The studio is “The Last of Us.''
“Some companies, like Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney, overlap, but others, including the biggest companies like Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts, have studios that correspond directly to studios and streamers. It doesn’t exist,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “So it's a complex marketing group. I think it could have a positive impact, but I don't think it could have a negative impact. And that's why we're in this situation right now. But we're really trying to convince and pressure these companies to do everything we can to actually come back to the table and give all the performers who work there a fair deal. We are doing so.”
While all this is going on, there is growing talk of unionizing among video game company employees as layoffs spread across the industry, and SAG, who has infiltrated the deep end of voice actor negotiations, is AFTRA's Mr. Elmaleh fully supports this.
“SAG-AFTRA is not unionizing game developers as a category, it's a performers union. But I believe that workers should have access to the really important elements of their jobs, wages, working conditions, and all the other things. We believe in having ownership over decisions. Unions have special influence and coercive power in building long-term, sustainable careers,” Elmaleh said. variety. “I think it's up to workers to be able to claim career sustainability because companies have different goals. Their goals aren't on the same scope, on the same timeline, or on the same personal focus. So , we need some kind of worker-led balance.”
Elmaleh has been a longtime video game performer, with credits on “High-Fi Rush” (photo above), Final Fantasy XV, For Honor, Anthem, Gone Home, Water Tastes Like Wine, and many more.
“As someone who has attended game developer conferences and been immersed in game development since 2011, I am simply in awe of my game developer collaborators. I think they are truly extraordinary people and it breaks my heart to see them suffer like this and be exposed to the winds of change that sometimes seem infuriating and unfair.'' she said. “So I want to thank them for all the steps they are taking, self-determination and self-defense, in a way that will give us longer careers, healthier lives, and a more enjoyable game for us as human beings.” I hope they find a way to “and who plays them.'' We wish all developers luck and unity, and we're here to share resources, support, and action where we can. ”
