Voice Actors Settle Game Dispute
Talent unions agree to higher pay in lieu of profit sharing.
by David Adams
June 9, 2005 - A dispute between Hollywood voice actors and game publishers reached tentative resolution this week, as actors unions announced Wednesday they had accepted higher pay instead of the profit sharing initially demanded.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have accepted a three-and-a-half year deal whereby union voice actors will receive a 36 percent increase in pay. The agreement still awaits final approval by the unions.
Negotiations for new contracts with game publishers began in February, but broke down last month when unions demanded that voice actors receive profit sharing, or residual payments, similar to what film actors receive for multiple showings of a feature.
A Reuters story quotes John Connolly, AFTRA's national president: "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 dispute and current resolution reflect the increasing scope of videogames, which now share equal space with Hollywood films as far-reaching, high-production (and high-profit) entertainment.
SAG and AFTRA together represent about 3,000 video game actors.
Update on the "Voice actors want a slice of the profit&
Update on the "Voice actors want a slice of the profit&
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