The failed contract included wage increases and a mandate to establish guidelines for work-induced vocal stress, but it was the "atmospheric" provision which caused the lion's share of dissent at the Hollywood SAG member caucus. The organization sent the deal out two weeks ago to each of its four member caucuses for official consideration, and the votes were tallied Tuesday with 73 of 115 against the deal.

"From the actor's point of view, this is a lousy contract -- particularly in the multiple voices area," SAG member Peter Kwong told . "I'm encouraging AFTRA members to vote this down." Kwong has previously done voiceover work for videogames like and .

The controversial clause would permit game companies to employ actors for "atmospheric work" in up to 20 roles (with a max cap of 300 words each) at the base pay rate, about $782 for four hours of work. Many SAG members feel this is a major pay reduction from the current contract, though videogame industry reps argue that the new clause will permit actors to secure more work (and thus more money) in the long run.

Fellow actor union AFTRA (American Federation of Television & Radio Artists) has until November 12 to respond to the proposed contract, and their national board has strongly encouraged members to approve the new deal. Still, the new contract may not have much of an impact on the games industry; though AFTRA covers the majority of unionized voice actors working in videogames, Variety estimates nearly 75% of game voiceover work is done by non-union actors.

We've contacted a few SAG members who can hopefully provide us with more perspective on the news. We will keep you updated as new developments arise.