No Strike! Voice Actors Settle

9
  • June
  • 2005
  • 4:01 am
Chatty
Written By Alec Matias

It's official: the two unions representing videogame voice actors withdrew their demand of residuals and have accepted the offer made by videogame publishers. Just yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) counted the mailed-in ballots from their members and apparently they did not have enough support to authorize a strike. Their only recourse was to accept a three and a half year contract offer that now gives voice actors the following benefits:
  • An immediate 25 percent increase in minimum wages from $556 to $695 for a four-hour session for up to three voices with increases in subsequent years, bringing the daily rate up to $759.
  • Double time pay after six hours (previously ten hours) for three-voice performers.
  • A 7.5 percent increase in contributions to the unions' benefits plans, bringing the rate up to 14.3 percent.
  • 15-25 percent gains in rates for remote delivery and integration.
  • Payment to actors for reuse of performances in promotional films longer than 12 minutes.
  • A specified rest period for each hour spent recording.
  • Payment window shortened from 30 to 12 business days.
  • Pre-work notification to actors performing in stressful sessions.

The offer still needs approval in committee, but if approved, it'll last until the end of 2008. Even with all these new benefits, the unions are not satisfied and were clear in their message that they hope to build a stronger union to try again in 2009 to secure a "more fair" deal.

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