No talks since the video game strike began

It's been nearly three weeks since SAG-AFTRA called a strike against ten major video game companies, and so far there's been no movement back to the bargaining table.

The guild's national executive director, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, told Deadline on Thursday that “there has been no formal exchange between the companies and us.”

“The negotiators are staying in touch throughout the process, but unfortunately nothing substantive is coming to fruition,” he said. “I really hope that the video game companies don't take the AMPTP strategy where they want to wait months to come to their senses, and hopefully when they see how much votes we had, they'll be encouraged to come back to the negotiating table so we can find the right path forward,” he continued, reiterating that “these companies are becoming increasingly isolated as they refuse to have this conversation.”

Crabtree-Ireland was present on Thursday, along with Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, and more than 100 SAG-AFTRA members and allies, at a picket line outside the Burbank offices of Disney Character Voices. It was the second labor action of the strike, following the first picket at WB Games Inc. last week.

The picketing strategy represents a departure from last year's strike, which saw actors deployed nearly every workday at most major studios in New York and Los Angeles. This is for several reasons, including that many video game companies are not covered by the Interactive Media Agreement and have instead signed individual, tiered agreements with SAG-AFTRA, meaning members are free to work with them.

Almost all major studios negotiate their film and television contracts through the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which has led to an even greater decline in production and left few unionized jobs for its members.

Elmaleh also said that the plan for the strike was to be “a little more tactical and ad hoc” in planning the pickets, which is why they would now be more sporadic.

She told Deadline that it was “no surprise” to her that collective bargaining negotiations had stalled since the strike was called on July 25.

“I think, [the producers] didn't necessarily take seriously our will and our investment in these supplies and our willingness to get them,” she continued. “It seems like they didn't take the prospect of a strike as seriously as they might have until the very end when there was more movement. Maybe now they're still wondering exactly what we're capable of, and I personally feel very encouraged and excited about how things are going so far.”

This work stoppage is solely due to the artificial intelligence provisions, as the union claims it has failed to create protection for all performers, especially motion capture actors, without loopholes regarding whether an actor's likeness is recognizable.

The Disney strike comes a day after SAG-AFTRA signed another contract with an AI company. On Wednesday, the union announced a partnership with Narrative, an online marketplace that lets brands create audio ads using AI.

According to the union, the company has agreed to an agreement that meaningfully addresses issues of informed consent, compensation claims and other protections for members.

“I think the Narrative deal is really an example of how isolated the position of the video game company is becoming, because we don't just have the studios, the streamers, the record labels – we have Replica Studios. We have Narrative,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “All of these companies that are doing really creative, active work in this space can enter into contracts that respect informed consent and fair compensation. So why can't the video game companies? They absolutely could. There's no reason why this strike couldn't be ended today by simply signing the AI ​​provisions.”

Deadline has reached out to a spokesperson for the video game producers for comment. This post will be updated if they respond. The group has not issued a statement since the strike was called.

That statement reads: “We are disappointed that the union has chosen to walk out when we are so close to reaching an agreement, and we remain ready to resume negotiations. We have already found common ground on 24 of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our offer is a direct response to SAG-AFTRA's concerns and expands on the meaningful protections of AI that include the consent requirement and fair compensation for all artists working under the IMA. These terms are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.”