SAG-AFTRA calls for strike authorization vote against video game companies

SAG-AFTRA members will vote starting next week on whether to authorize union leaders to call a strike against video game companies, in the latest sign of spreading labor unrest in the broader entertainment sector.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said it’s been nearly a year since its contract with video game companies was extended from its expiration date.

The guild leadership’s call for a strike authorization vote comes after the union’s film and TV actors went on strike in mid-July, joining Writers Guild of America-represented screenwriters who have been on the picket line since early May.

For video game performers, SAG-AFTRA is seeking wage increases and protections against the use of artificial intelligence.