Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1525111
12 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2024 | sagaftra.org A Letter from the National Executive Director Dear Member, A s you have no doubt heard by now, SAG-AFTRA has gone on strike against some of the largest video game companies in the world. These companies refuse to extend basic A.I. guardrails to all of our members who work on games (see story on page 14), and in so doing, they are asking us to agree to a deal that protects some members while leaving others out in the cold — and that's something we're not going to do. I know that some of you may be feeling some strike fatigue after the longest TV/ Theatrical strike in our union's history. I understand that, but greed never sleeps, and labor can't either. Our TV/Theatrical/ Streaming strike was successfully resolved because of the unity and dedication of SAG-AFTRA members and our allies. Your fellow members who work in the games sector need you now to show your support for their struggle. And of course, in the complex and integrated industry of today, any SAG-AFTRA member could end up working in video games. Please take a moment to visit sagaftra.org/videogamestrike to find out how you can help. A.I. continues to be a concern in our other contracts as well. At the bargaining table, we have negotiated strong protections into our TV/Theatrical/ Streaming contracts, TV Animation Agreement and, now, our Sound Recordings Code. The Code contained the first-ever collectively bargained guardrails to ensure ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in the music industry. It not only ensures that artists, singers and royalty artists are defined as humans and provides full protections for digital replication, but it also evolves our generative A.I. protections by requiring that when a track is released exclusively with synthetic vocal performances, the label must pay streaming royalties just as though a human performer had voiced the track. This not only helps mitigate the impact of generative A.I., but helps level the playing field and removes economic incentives to replace human artists with A.I. Elsewhere, we have been busy on the legislative front. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, we need to attack this issue from a variety of angles, including in state and federal laws, and your union leaders have been regulars at statehouses and in Washington, D.C. Read about our efforts on page 46 and get all the latest at sagaftra.org. As this issue goes to print, the NO FAKES Act has been introduced in the Senate. If passed, it would establish a federal right in voice and likeness to protect against unauthorized use of digital replicas in audiovisual works and sound recordings, and would be a significant victory for SAG-AFTRA members. The union, studios and major record labels are all backing this legislation. Meanwhile, in June, we held our 2024 special national convention, where delegates considered dozens of resolutions. More than 100 were submitted by members, and you can turn to page 57 to see which ones passed and have been assigned for further work and consideration by the National Board. The SAG-AFTRA Constitution requires that the union holds a national convention every two years, and it normally only falls on odd-numbered years. However, last year's convention was interrupted on the first day, when, in the midst of the TV/ Theatrical/Streaming strike, the CEOs of the AMPTP companies agreed to come back to the negotiating table, so we didn't get to finish our convention business until this year. Despite the heavy load of resolutions, we did find the time to recognize some of our union's best and brightest. Congratulations to Janice Pendarvis, Michele Proude, Sheila Ivy Traister and Stacey Travis on receiving the George Heller Memorial Award gold card (see page 56). Between them, they have decades and decades of selfless service to the union, and they are more than deserving of this momentous honor. We also honored producers with the American Scene Awards, recognizing their achievement in bringing diversity and inclusion to the fore (see page 55). As we look ahead to the end of summer, I hope you're staying cool and staying safe. We still have a lot to do this year, and I hope I can count on you to remain active in your union — that engagement really pays off in better wages and protections, and it strengthens us as a union. And speaking of engagement, it's an election year, so be sure to vote in the national elections in November. In unity, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland D U N C A N C R A B T R E E - I R E L A N D "Greed never sleeps, and labor can't either."