LOS ANGELES, CA – The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) extends their full solidarity and support to the SAG-AFTRA video game workers as they are set to launch on a strike against major video game companies tomorrow at 12:01a.m.

SAG-AFTRA’s decision to call a strike highlights an urgent need for fair and equitable treatment of video game workers regarding the implementation of AI in their workplaces. The decision to strike is never made lightly, but is a last resort response when negotiations are failing to move towards union-members’ priorities.

IATSE believes all workers in video games deserve the rights and protections of a union, including strong AI contracts which prevent workers from being displaced or have their jobs otherwise outsourced via the implementation of Artificial Intelligence, a key win in IATSE’s recent Basic and Area Standards Negotiations, as well as SAG-AFTRA’s film and tv contract with the studios last year.

IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb stated, “We are proud to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our SAG-AFTRA sisters, brothers, and kin. Their fight against the misuse of AI in the video game industry is a shared fight all entertainment workers’ unions are taking head-on. Just as we secured robust AI protections in our contracts, we support SAG-AFTRA’s demand for fair treatment and comprehensive AI safeguards. Standing together is the only way we can ensure technological development does not come at the expense of workers’ rights and livelihoods.”

As SAG-AFTRA video game workers take this courageous step, we call on all members of the entertainment industry to rally to their cause. The issues they face are not isolated; they are part of a broader struggle for protections. To that end, we also encourage members of the entertainment labor community to build on the momentum of video game performers and encourage other video game workers to join the labor movement at gameworkers.org.