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96.5 Percent Of Voting Voice Actors Authorize Strike
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors (including interactive voice artists), has received overwhelming support for a strike. The ongoing tension between the actors that provide voice work for games and the publishers that employ them has been ongoing for months.
The deadline for the vote was yesterday, with 96.5 percent of responding members voting for a strike. While the union lists a number of issues, including residual payments and safety concerns, we’ve been told that another problem lies at the heart of the discontent.
Both Wil Wheaton (Broken Age) and another actor speaking to us under condition of anonymity stated that the publisher negotiating team is entirely unwilling to hear proposals from the actors. According to the union, it will request one more meeting with publishers before a work stoppage begins.
As we’ve reported on this story over the past two weeks, we’ve reached out to a number of publishers. We have not yet received a comment from any or the negotiating committee’s attorney.
We’ll update as more information is available. For more on the strike and the issues in play, you can read our in-depth explainer.
[Source: SAG-AFTRA]
Our Take
According to the union and our source (who spoke only for himself), the vote was intended to show solidarity. With 96.5 percent of participating members voting affirmatively, the union is likely hoping to spark a conversation and continue working. If the two parties can’t meet in the middle, the union now has the authority to call for a strike.
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