Today there was encouraging news for those involved in the strike of writers that erupted in the United States a few weeks ago, as a preliminary agreement was reached that would allow operations in this field to resume. Unfortunately, it was bittersweet because, even though it seems that a solution to this problem is near, a strike by video game actors could still break out soon.
As reported in early September, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) would open a vote for its members to decide whether there should be a strike by actors, just like there was for writers and actors in TV and film.
Will there be a strike by video game actors?
Well, the vote has come to an end and it revealed that the vast majority of the union members (98.32%) voted in favor of authorizing a strike in the Interactive Media Agreement, which covers the involvement of union members in the video game industry.
"Its time for video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement," said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
However, the authorization does not mean that the strike will take effect immediately. SAG-AFTRA will still hold some more talks on September 26, 27, and 28, and it is expected to reach an agreement with video game companies.
Otherwise, SAG-AFTRA can make the strike go into effect, which would prevent any of its members from participating in video game projects or making public appearances to promote them, as has happened with TV and film actors, as well as writers.
"We hope that the additional influence of a successful strike authorization vote will compel companies to make meaningful moves on critical issues that we are far from reaching," the union stated.
Which companies games would be affected?
The strike would affect companies that have an agreement with SAG-AFTRA, specifically mentioned are Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Epic Games, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc., with which the union has been in talks since October 2022 without reaching a favorable agreement. This could potentially lead to delays in game development.
"I am hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement that satisfies the actors needs, but our members are tired of being exploited, and if these corporations are not willing to offer a fair deal, the next stop will be a strike," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Among SAG-AFTRAs key demands from video game companies are a salary that takes inflation into account, protection against the exploitation of artificial intelligence, and basic precautionary safety measures.
While the writers strike could last for a few weeks, a strike can extend for several months if one partys demands are not met, as happened in 2016 and 2017, when video game actors were on strike for 11 months.
We will keep you informed.
Do you think there will be a strike in the video game industry in the United States? Tell us in the comments.
Stay informed with us at LEVEL UP.