have voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.
Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.
Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.害羞草研究所� video game divisions.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,害羞草研究所� SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.
The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the after months .
remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to .
The next phase comes Tuesday, when the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are expected to vote on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.
Following approval from the union害羞草研究所檚 boards 害羞草研究所� which is likely 害羞草研究所� comes a vote from the writers themselves, although the timing is uncertain.
害羞草研究所淚 very much feel like we害羞草研究所檒l vote in favor of it,害羞草研究所� Writers Guild member Kyra Jones said. 害羞草研究所淚 trust that the negotiating committee did not settle for a bad deal. That would have made no sense to do this far in.害羞草研究所�
The guild and the , which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still finalizing contract language Monday.
That could prompt a delay of the voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly five months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised to hold a series of meetings later this week to share the terms of the deal regarding pay, show staffing and artificial intelligence.
The guild害羞草研究所檚 leaders told them only that the agreement is 害羞草研究所渆xceptional,害羞草研究所� with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership will finally, officially, bring the strike to an end.
Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as many actors did with writers in the two months before their .
Among the writers back out supporting the actors was 害羞草研究所淢ad Men害羞草研究所� creator Matthew Weiner, who picketed alongside friend and 害羞草研究所淓R害羞草研究所� actor Noah Wyle as he has throughout the strikes.
害羞草研究所淲e would never have had the leverage we had if SAG had not gone out,害羞草研究所� Weiner said. 害羞草研究所淭hey were very brave to do it.害羞草研究所�
Among the unions on strike, the studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.
SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers害羞草研究所� agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.
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