SAG-AFTRA in Talks With Video Game Companies Ahead of Strike Date

The negotiations are currently scheduled to happen through Wednesday but prospects for an agreement are starting to dim as big gaming companies and the actors union are trading a war of words in the public sphere.

Game makers, including Activision and Electronic Arts, said in a joint statement on Monday that they “have negotiated in good faith” with SAG-AFTRA and are “disappointed” over the strike date announcement.

“As part of the minority of game companies that are signatory to an agreement with [the] union, we have demonstrated our commitment to excellent wages and working conditions for video game performers,” the gaming companies said.

In response, SAG-AFTRA indicated the gaming giants have mischaracterized the union’s position, saying in a statement on Monday: We are surprised to hear that the video game companies with whom we have been negotiating for nearly two years now assert that progress is being made on the major concerns we are focused on in this negotiation.

-Improved transparency, so actors know whether they’re playing a lead character or a supporting role, and also whether they’ll have to relay sexually explicit or offensive language and/or storylines.

SAG-AFTRA declared its strike plan following a unanimous vote over the weekend among the labor union’s board of directors.

Activision; Blindlight; Corps of Discovery Films; Disney Character Voices, Inc.; Electronic Arts; Formosa Interactive; Insomniac Games; Interactive Associates; Take 2 Interactive; VoiceWorks Productions; and WB Games.

“Unless a deal is struck during bargaining sessions scheduled for the first part of this week, all games that went into production after Feb. 17, 2015 for the aforementioned employers will be struck,” a SAG-AFTRA announcement read.

“Through many months of bargaining with interactive employers, we have not reached a fair agreement covering SAG-AFTRA performers working in video games — often the most popular games in the world,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris in a statement.