Organizing Production Workers Beyond the Animated Guild Drive –

In January, the Animation Guild announced a two-way achievement: through unification Harriet the spy Studio Titmouse New York, IATSE, not only launched an expansion outside of the Los Angeles area, but also hired the production team for the first time in recent history. Since then, TAG has introduced new organizing campaigns for production workers in almost a month: exhibitions. Ricky and Morty s the opposite of the sunAt Titmouse LA and ShadowMachine studios and on June 2nd, st the simpsons, Family man s მამაAmerican Dad! (Prior to organizing the production team, TAG represented animation workers at these latter employers.)

This campaign, aimed at production managers, production supervisors, production coordinators, production assistants and editorial assistants, including those who facilitate the transfer of parts and scenes and facilitate communication between departments, has so far yielded results in the union. During attempts to expand the presence of TAG the simpsons, Family man s მამაAmerican Dad! Seemingly heading to the National Labor Relations Board election, Guild says he managed to get voluntary recognition Ricky and MortyTitmouse New York, Titmouse LA and ShadowMachine Win NLRB Election the opposite of the sun.

And while union organizers have no plans for any specific campaigns in the future, it looks like TAG’s interest in organizing production workers won’t wane anytime soon. “The only way we can make meaningful, long-term, meaningful change in the animation industry is if we can speak for everyone who works in animation,” explains Steve Kaplan, Sales Representative for TAG.

The push is part of a strategy to increase the size and accessibility of Grêmio, which already represents animators, technicians and screenwriters, thus increasing its strength and influence in the industry. Under previous leadership, TAG represented some manufacturing workers, but that number has dwindled, and recently, when compiling maps of their workplaces, members realized that “most of their employees were not covered by any unions, particularly workers in manufacturing,” TAG said. . Organized by Ben Spite. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Speight said, production workers were the last to leave the studios and the first to return and can be “used as a wedge to try to continue production and uproot it.” The position of artists in that period”.

A labor sector management lawyer, who asked not to be named, said the timing of the initial campaign was “particularly emotional” for them. From November until recently, TAG has been involved in lengthy negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers, representing the studios and streamers, for a new “Master Agreement” (expected to be reached on May 27). The AMPTP talks “were a good place to discuss across the industry whether the rating would be expanded to include these additional positions,” he said, suggesting that the union might feel it could not succeed at the negotiating table and therefore organized o workers in separate jobs. . (TAG Kaplan replied, “There is an organizing strategy and we are announcing where and when we can.”)

In terms of production workers supporting TAG’s efforts, it’s time for them to reap the same benefits that their united counterparts get in animation. “We want to work remotely, we want a retirement plan, we want to provide healthcare for our addicts and our partners,” said Margaret Glaser, deputy director of production. the simpsons. Adds Laura Smelek, a Family man Production Coordinator in the Animation Department, “We have a lot of very well educated people with many years of experience and we still don’t have that benefit, whereas almost everyone on our show does. So it’s more about creating equality between programs. ”

Tom Sito, former president of the Animation Guild and author of the 2006 book Line Drawing: The Untold Story of Bosco’s Animated Wedding to Bart Simpson, highlights that the production team of animation companies has grown in recent decades. The animation renaissance of the 1990s led to the expansion of the infrastructure in the animation companies, and the studios that subcontracted some work to international or external companies, such as Illumination Entertainment, needed more workers to coordinate and carry out a follow-up your job. “I think what’s been a little surprising in recent years is how there are unanimous goals among people in the manufacturing that they want to be a union,” Sito said. “Usually [in unionization efforts] “There is a more divisive opinion among individual workers about what will be best for them.”

Jason Jones, or მამაAmerican Dad! The animation and weather production supervisor says union supporters want the production to be more “sustainable”.

He adds: “It was building an old studio that argued that animation production was a staple job in another career. You can sell this narrative on shows with one or two seasons, but now we see that’s not a reality because shows the simpsons, family face ones მამაAmerican Dad! They have industrial workers with over a decade of employment. The reality is that animation production is a career.”

Going forward, Jones believes the organization’s current efforts on the 20th animated television program can inspire others: “Of course, there’s nothing more advanced than The Simpsons, Family Guy s მამაAmerican Dad!“He says, ‘I think this is a beacon for all animation workers to come together.’

The next challenge for union-certified manufacturing and TAG workers is to expand the number of employers by organizing campaigns and negotiating contracts that reflect workers’ key concerns and priorities. According to the CTC, there are still no dates for the start of contractual negotiations with the bosses with the workers of the newly incorporated production. And on whether the Guild has more production worker campaigns that could be announced in the public year, Kaplan says: “I mean when and where, but it really depends on those units.”

A version of this story first appeared in the June 15 issue of The Gossipify. Click here to subscribe.