Los
Angeles (June 8, 2005)
-Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio
Artists (AFTRA) today announced they have reached tentative agreements with
video game companies on new contracts. The new three-and-a-half year
agreements -- reached after three months of bargaining, the break-off of talks
on May 13, and right before the results of a strike authorization vote by both
unions was to be announced -- include a 36 percent increase in minimum pay over
the term, with 25 percent to be immediately implemented. In addition, the pacts
contain significant increases in benefit contributions, as well as greater
protections for the performers who do this work. The tentative agreements now
must be approved by SAG's National Executive Committee and AFTRA's National
Administrative Committee, both of which will meet in the coming
weeks.
On the eve of a strike authorization vote, and after much
deliberation, both unions reluctantly withdrew their demand that a residual, or
profit-sharing, model be instituted for video games, in return for producers
putting more money for minimum pay into both contracts. Accordingly, the
parties have agreed that the final vote tallies for the strike authorizations
will not be announced.
"The negotiating committee wrestled
with a great challenge. Our members clearly support the inclusion of residuals
in our Interactive contracts. However, with great reluctance, our negotiating
committee concluded that it is in the interests of the members who work these
contracts to make this deal," said SAG President Melissa Gilbert. "We will spend
the next three-and-a-half years devoting resources to further organize this
industry, and return to the bargaining table with renewed strength and vigor to
establish a fair participation in the enormous profits generated by video
games."
AFTRA National President John Connolly noted, "We are proud that this
deal significantly enhances wages and increases benefits for performers in
interactive games. While we did not get all that we want...and deserve... this
contract is another important step in building artists' power in this growing
sector of the media industry. The road to creating fair industry standards for
working performers runs through significantly increased union density in
interactive game production. We will vigorously pursue this objective during the
term of this agreement. Achieving greater density in interactive games will
dramatically serve our goal of winning residuals. I salute the hard work, hard
road, and hard decisions that our member committee and our dedicated staff took
on in these negotiations."
