British Equity Sends Message of Support to SAG-AFTRA

The following was released today by British Equity: Equity has today sent a message of support to SAG-AFTRA, our USA sister union, as its members take industrial action aimed at persuading video game employers to enter meaningful negotiations about a new, fair agreement. 

SAG-AFTRA members have shown good faith with the employers for the past one and a half years by working under an expired agreement while negotiations took place. Throughout that time SAG-AFTRA has continued to request reasonable improvements for members – including fair compensation for the use of a performer’s work and safe working conditions – but videogame employers continue to refuse to engage in productive discussions and the patience of SAG-AFTRA members has run out.

SAG-AFTRA has backing from across the world for its action. At a world-wide conference of performers’ unions in Brazil in October, organised by the International Federation of Actors, SAG-AFTRA received unanimous support for a motion which provided support for acceptable terms and conditions for videogame performers in the U.S. including fair pay, protections against vocal stress, and transparency regarding roles.

Equity is calling on all members to contact the union for advice immediately if they are offered any videogame work by a USA-based producer. Email John Barclay, Head of the Recorded Media Department, on jbarclay@equity.org.uk. Equity members resident in the USA or Canada, whether members of SAG-AFTRA or not, should contact the union’s strike hotline at (323) 549-6815.