The AFTRA Push for Interactive Ratification
We got a forward of this e-mail from AFTRA New York President Holter Graham, who works the Interactive contract, and was Chair of the Interactive Steering Committee:
AFTRA members are about to vote on a new deal for video games (Interactive Media).
As a chair of the AFTRA Interactive Steering Committee who has been working games for nearly ten years, I have been unerringly in favor of this deal since it first came to AFTRA in contract talks with the gaming industry. AFTRA helped craft a deal that we have repeatedly voted in favor of in the intervening months.
This is a strong deal. Raises when the economy’s in the tank, keeping the extra fee for “remote delivery” that the producers tried to remove, and a new category called Atmospheric Voices that will change the way some of us work, but will also open the union contract up to a large group of potential new employers–those making the increasing number of games that use literally thousands of vocal performances. There are a few folks concerned about AtVo, but the concerns are overblown in this current pressurized climate, and there are protections built into the deal to monitor and address concerns that come up along the way. AtVo will change the work, but it is not a rollback and it allows for the possibility of a lot more union jobs in this booming industry.
AFTRA currently stands as the last place this deal can come home for union members. And if this doesn’t get signed, I believe that whatever we see next will be a whole lot uglier.
Some of you work this contract. Hopefully you already know this is a good deal.
Some of you don’t, but might know someone who does. Feel free to forward this.
At this point we need to get the votes of working members to the tally. AFTRA has joined the 21st Century and the vote is electronic–people get a letter in the mail that has e-voting instructions and info, and then we’re done. So this whole process will happen quickly.
If you work the contract and are on the fence, get off. I’m voting yes, confidently and without hesitation.
If you know any of the more than 2000 AFTRA members who actually work this contract, talk it up, and try to ensure that they vote. If anyone has a question, they can email me and ask.
Long story short: If we don’t get involved and vote, we’re on the brink of being shut out of the fastest-growing facet of the entertainment business: getting shut out of the fastest growing facet of the entertainment business would be incredibly goddamn stupid. So a Yes vote on AFTRA’s Interactive Contract would be a good thing.
Once more into the breach, dear friends, or fill the X-box up with our union dead.
AFTRA is sending the proposed contract extension out for a vote by the approximately 2200 affected members. SAG held ratification caucuses this past week where any member could vote.
Though the vote was unanimous in favor outside Hollywood, the vote in Hollywood swamped the rest of the country, and the contract was rejected.
As one of the other chairs of the AFTRA steering committee, I whole heartedly endorse Holter’s letter and his sentiments. If we want to keep any of this work union, voting for this contract is the only way. So sink the lifeboats, shoot the wounded and close the gates of mercy. We WILL vote this up, and so close on the heals of St. Crispin’s day.
SAG….SAD SAD SAD for the members who got screwed out of this contract because of the selfish few who want to keep the work for themselves.
Remember this contract, those of you in Hollywood who were left behind.
Merger now is the only answer