Animation Guild members have ratified a three-year successor deal to their film and TV contract by a vote of 868-213, for an approval rate of more than 80%.
Of the guild’s 3,695 eligible members, 1,081 cast ballots. Terms of the contract, which are retroactive to July 29, 2018, are equivalent to those in the new deal covering 13 West Coast studio locals for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents more than 40,000 below-the-line employees, including 3% pay raises each year of the pact.
The Animation Guild, which operates as Local 839 of IATSE, said the new deal “preserves health and pension benefits.” The Animation Guild represents animation artists, writers, and technicians, and has contracts with Disney, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Sony, and Warner Bros. Employers are represented through the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which serves as their negotiating arm.
“We believe this agreement makes substantial gains in key areas identified by the surveys, membership meetings, and craft meetings that were held during negotiation preparations,” Local 839 business rep Jason MacLeod said in a statement. “We think this is a strong agreement and look forward to working with all members to continue to address cultural and economic issues that are not addressed by the language of this deal. This contract is a foundation, but there is much more work to do.”
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“As a labor union, our strength comes from our members’ willingness to engage and act,” MacLeod told his members. “Leading up to and during negotiations, we saw a significant increase in participation and member willingness to visibly support their union. While that had a strong effect, we want to encourage even greater involvement so together we may strive for even greater gains in the future. We want to thank the negotiating committee and all who participated in meetings, surveys, and committee groups to research and formulate proposals. Member participation is integral to the health of the union — your participation made a difference this time. We hope to work together with all members to continue to build strength for the future.”