The Animation Guild Reaches A Deal With The AMPTP

    The Animation Guild – IATSE Local 839, the union representing animation workers in the United States, recently announced on November 25th that it has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP, the group representing the major studios and streamers. The guild’s theme for its negotiations was known as “Stand With Animation”. The term “Stand With Animation” represents the guild’s fate with common issues that it has faced during the last three years such as mass layoffs, effects on corporate mergers, more outsourcing, project cancellations, consolidation and most importantly, concerns regarding generative AI, as it could replace the artists that bring their work to life in the near future. These included the shuttering of the Cartoon Network Studios building in Burbank, with its staff moving to the Second Century building at Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation shifting to a “mixed-production” model, among other factors. A number of unions from across the US supported the negotiations, including DGA, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters and WGA, as well as animation fans and several international supporters.

    Here’s the announcement from “X” (formerly Twitter):

     


    Prior to and during negotiations, independent animation studio Jellybox Studio teamed up with Animation Workers Ignited, a community-run social media not affiliated with the TAG, to produce a number of short videos. These short videos featured two “spokespersons” a green-shirt man voiced by Alex Hirsch and a purple-shirt man with glasses voiced by Adam Conover, as he explains to the former about the key issues that TAG was facing during the last three years, accompanied by a few cameos from several animation, comic book and video game characters, from the likes of Grunkle Stan, Ben Tennyson, Zim, Bone, Sonic the Hedgehog among many others. The shorts have been featured on all major social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.

     

    According to the TAG, the deal included several key substantial gains, including wage increases, guardrails on the use of AI, improvements on the new media sideletter, increases on wealth and pension funds and several craft-specific gains, such as a framework for staffing minimums for writers, and significant victories for storyboard artists, the recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday and remote work protections.

    During the final weeks of negotiations, TAG held a “March on the Boss” campaign to send a petition signed by over 1000 animation workers and supporters, citing that animation is performing well in both box office numbers for films, and merchandising sales for television shows. The members held live marches in front of Netflix Animation, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Animation/CN Studios, alongside names such as Matt Braly and Michelle Drennan, to demonstrate union solidarity.

    With a deal reached, it is now time for the TAG to ratify its contract, and continue to bring the magic and the moments that breathes animation to life.

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