LOS ANGELES (Celebrity Access) — The Hollywood Video Game Performers union announced plans to strike Thursday after talks with major game studios broke down in talks to protect artificial intelligence systems.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which represents workers, voted to authorize a strike effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 26.
According to SAG-AFTRA, the decision to authorize the strike comes after a year and a half of negotiations with major game studios, including units of Activision, Warner Bros. and The Walt Disney Co., but no agreement has been reached.
“Despite agreement on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers have refused to unequivocally confirm in clear and enforceable language that they will use AI language to protect all performers covered by this contract,” the union’s statement said.
News of the video game workers’ strike came more than a year after actors took to picket lines in Hollywood’s largest labor action in decades, striking for nearly five months in 2023.
“We are disappointed that the union chose to withdraw when we were so close to an agreement, and we remain ready to resume negotiations. We have found common ground on 24 of the 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety regulations. Our proposal directly responds to SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and expands meaningful AI protections, including requiring consent and fair compensation for all performers working under the IMA. These provisions are the strongest in the entertainment industry.
