The SAG-AFTRA strike is expanding beyond just Hollywood studios after its members voted decisively on Monday to authorize a strike against 10 of the largest video game companies in the US.
More than 98% of voting members, which include actors and television/radio artists, voted in favor of authorizing the strike.
The union is calling for a retroactive 11% wage increase, on-set medics for hazardous performance capture and protections against the use of generative AI in place of actors, according to reports.
"It's time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract," said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher in a statement.
The companies affected by a potential strike include Activision Blizzard Inc (NASDAQ:ATVI), Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), Epic Games, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions and WB Games Inc.
"The result of this vote shows our membership understands the existential nature of these negotiations, and that the time is now for these companies — which are making billions of dollars and paying their CEOs lavishly — to give our performers an agreement that keeps performing in video games as a viable career,” Drescher added.
Notably, a strike authorization doesn’t guarantee a strike will occur, but it does allow the union to call a strike if it feels negotiations are not progressing.
Negotiations between the gaming industry and the union are expected to resume this week.
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America, which has raised similar concerns about the usage of AI, announced an in-principle agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over the weekend.
If the deal is agreed to, the AI provisions could set a precedent for negotiations with the video games industry.
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