During the recently-held 30th National AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis, Minneapolis - Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland led a presentation titled AI Should Work for Us for Union Delegates.

Following its opener, which asked attendees to offer their thoughts on the presence of AI in the workplace and showed real-world examples of generative tools, he went on to outline a multi-pronged strategy that centered on Collective Bargaining, public policy and Member and public engagement, and to explain how SAG-AFTRA has utilized this approach in its negotiations, at the State and Federal Legislative levels, and among its Members and the public.

“Laws alone are not enough if Workers do not understand the technology and do not have the power to enforce their rights,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “That is why we need an organized, educated, mobilized Labor Movement. If your voice can be copied, if your image can be replicated, if your data can be harvested, if your work can be used to train systems that may one day replace or undercut you - this is about you.”

At the AFL-CIO Convention, Union Delegates unanimously passed Resolution 28, calling on the Nationwide Labor Federation to support Federal legislation creating tax incentives for domestic film and television production.

SAG-AFTRA proposed the resolution, which was supported by a coalition of Entertainment and Media Unions. 

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and Crabtree-Ireland joined International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) President Matt Loeb, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) Secretary-Treasurer Sasha Stewart, and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 99 Secretary-Treasurer Mont Chris Hubbard in speaking in favor of the resolution.

SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Linda Powell also spoke in support of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe, or NO FAKES, Act, which the National AFL-CIO Delegations reaffirmed.

SAG-AFTRA has been a leading advocate for the legislation's passing, which would establish a Federal right of publicity and create meaningful legal recourse for Performers and other Workers whose digital likenesses are exploited without consent.

The show of support underscored the National AFL-CIO’s commitment to protecting Workers from the unauthorized use of their voices and likenesses by AI Systems.

The NO FAKES Act is expected to be presented to a Senate Judiciary Committee vote later in June.

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