March was a long time ago. VO Atlanta was WoVO’s last Rates Roundtable, and we’re finally getting rolling again with this new May installment…and it’s a doozie!
We’ve gathered a gold-ribbon panel to discuss the longest-running strike in SAG history: the “Interactive Strike” against video game producers.
More than 210 days ago, SAG-AFTRA called for a strike against eleven of top-flight video game production houses: Electronic Arts, Activision, and WB Games to name a few.
Over two years in vain at the negotiating table led the union to believe that the producers were not bargaining in good faith, hence the strike.
Big issues are: respect for vocal strain, residual payments, and coverage of stunt coordinators. The opposing side claims the union walked away from a 9% pay hike without voting on it.
Our panel today will consist of some luminaries from LA and elsewhere in this realm: Dave Fennoy, Jason Linere White, Phil Lamarr, Keythe Farley, Brad Venable, David Lowry, and TAG Agency owner Liz Atherton.
Some of these panelists are active participants in the current negotiations.
Here’s the important part: there is a growing population of voice-actors who don’t feel the need to join the union. That’s a whole ‘nother debate. But the fact remains that union scale is the de facto starting point for rates discussions with clients. Any gains by SAG-AFTRA in this manner will likely lift expectations for ALL voice actors. We saw this with compensation gains in the audiobook realm in past years.
We record the discussion at 1pm today, and I hope to have it turned-around for viewing by the end of the day, Pacific.
My co-host for this event is the accomplished Anne Ganguzza, and World-Voices is proud to be able to bring you this resource.
Watch for it!
CourVO