Hollywood Actors Union Mulls Video Game Strike

In a unanimous decision, the National Board of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union has taken a significant step toward greenlighting a potential second strike against prominent video game companies.

As reported by BBC News, the union has announced its intention to seek strike authorization from its members as it prepares for upcoming negotiations with video game industry giants, marking a pivotal development in the ongoing labor dispute.

“SAG-AFTRA is standing up to tyranny on behalf of its members,” stated union president Fran Drescher, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Negotiations between the SAG-AFTRA and industry behemoths including Activision and Electronic Arts have hit an impasse, the union announced on Friday. Contentious issues such as wage hikes and the integration of artificial intelligence have proven to be  stumbling blocks in reaching a resolution. This development unfolds against an ongoing strike by Hollywood actors, which commenced on July 13, targeting television and film production companies.

“The overlap of these two SAG-AFTRA contracts is no coincidence but rather a predictable issue impacting our industry as well as others all over the world. The disease of greed is spreading like wildfire, ready to burn workers out of their livelihoods and humans out of their usefulness. We at SAG-AFTRA say NO! Not on our watch!” Drescher added.

A spokesperson representing the video game companies emphasized that both parties are committed to achieving a just and equitable agreement through negotiation.

In a statement to the BBC, Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the 10 video game firms involved in the talks, said that all sides are seeking a fair contract that reflects the work done by performers. “We are negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a mutually beneficial deal as soon as possible,” she said.

The vote regarding the potential second strike is scheduled between Sept. 5 and Sept. 25. 

With a membership roster encompassing 160,000 individuals, SAG-AFTRA holds a  contractual arrangement with prominent video game conglomerates, initially slated to conclude in November. However, an extension of one year was granted, affording additional time for negotiations.

Should the forthcoming strike vote garner approval, the union would be empowered to initiate a job action should discussions falter, with negotiations set to reconvene on Sept. 26.

A job action is a temporary action taken by employees to pressure management to meet their demands without going on a full strike.

The grievances articulated against video game enterprises parallel those fueling the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against film and television companies, a labor dispute that has persisted for over 50 days, punctuated by weeks of unproductive talks and global disruptions to the production of cinematic and televised content.

SAG-AFTRA’s history includes a previous labor action against video game companies in 2016, which endured for an 11-month period, according to BBC News.