The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839

The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, also known as The Animation Guild,^[1][2] or TAG^[3] is a professional guild and union of animation artists, writers and technicians.^[4][5] The full name of the organization is The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress.

The Animation Guild

The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts
Nickname	TAG
Predecessor	Screen Cartoonist's Guild
Founded	1952
Headquarters	Burbank, California
Location	United States
Members	2,550 (2010)
President	Jeanette Moreno King
Vice President	Jack Thomas
Key people	Steve Kaplan (Business Representative) Paula Spence (Recording Secretary) Robert St. Pierre (Sergeant-at-Arms)
Parent organization	International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
Affiliations	AFL-CIO
Website	www.animationguild.org

History

Before the Guild

Before the founding of the union on January 18, 1952, under the name "The Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Guild, IATSE Local 839",^[6] known as "Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Guild" for short, the push to unionize the animation industry in the United States came from the Screen Cartoonist's Guild. It was a union which held its first union meeting in 1937 and won recognition in 1941.^[7]

From 1940 to 1941, animators at Walt Disney Studios were successfully organized,^[8] with a victory for the Guild and defeat for Disney and the company union known as Federation of Screen Cartoonists (FSC), following the end of the strike.^[9][10][11] Later, in 1944, the Guild sent organizers to New York City to form a local chapter, Local 1461.^[6] In 1947, the Guild had an unsuccessful twenty-eight-week strike against Terrytoons, Inc. despite receiving support from other unions. Terrytoons hired students from New Rochelle High School as scabs, and Paul Terry outlasted strikers with a "large backlog of unreleased films".^[12][13] The strike was later described as the animation industry's "most devastating blow" for animators.^[14]

Early years

In 1958, the Guild successfully organized workers at Hanna-Barbera Productions.^[3] At that time, the union organized many animators across the industry.^[15]

In August 1979, the Guild struck for ten days against Ruby-Spears Productions, Hanna-Barbera Productions, and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, with the studios agreeing to in-studio staffing levels before some work can be subcontracted outside of the U.S.^[16] The next year, 1980, the Guild established the American Animation Institute which aimed to provide education about animation craft and art taught by professionals in animation industry.^[17]

In August 1982, the studios refused to renew the 1979 agreement with Guild. This resulted in the Guild's 1,600 members going on strike against all animation studios within Los Angeles, California.^[18][19] The strike ended with studios refusing to address the issues related to runaway productions raised by the strike.^[20][21]

In 1987, the Guild founded the Society for Animation Studies, which began holding an annual conference two years later, and later published a peer-reviewed journal, Animation Studies.^[22] In Spring 1995, the Guild signed a contract with DreamWorks Animation.^[3] It was reported in August 1999 that the Guild, which had 2,500 members at the time, was trying to unite with animators from other countries rather than competing against them.^[23]

2002-Present

In July 2002, the union changed its name to "The Animation Guild".^[24][6][25] In November of the same year, Nickelodeon Animation Studios signed a collective bargaining agreement with the union for the first time, bringing in workers from Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.^[3] The following year, Guild members ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with major animation companies, which lasted until August 2006.^[26]

In October 2004, DPS Film Roman animators voted to join the Guild by a 166-20 vote, with a contract ratified in January 2005.^[27] Later, in 2009, the Guild negotiated bargaining terms for streaming television when it was "something of a quirk," leading to a push by some in the animation industry, and the Guild itself, for better working conditions for those in the industry.^[28][29] Sideletter N entered into the collective bargaining agreement with the Guild, in 2015, outlined improved working conditions for streaming media.^[3] The same year, the Guild also inked a three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.^[30] In May 2019, the Guild ratified contracts for animators at Nickelodeon. The following month, the guild’s efforts to win workers at Shadowmachine, which were working on BoJack Horseman, were successful.^[31][32] Later, workers for the company would again vote to be part of the guild in May 2022.^[33]

Animators who worked on Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites filed a petition, in February 2022, for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board so they could join the guild. According to the Guild, Adult Swim and 20th Century Studios did not voluntarily recognize the entire unit as the Guild proposed, leading to a negotiation before recognition.^[34][35] Previously, in September 2014, the crew of Rick & Morty ratified a new labor agreement with the Guild, following a successful organizing effort.^[36]

In January 2022, it was announced that workers for the studio of Titmouse, Inc., in New York, had organized under the Guild. It was the first time the union represented an animation studio "outside of LA County".^[3] Following the union becoming public, Titmouse management chose to voluntarily recognize the union and negotiate with the Guild "in good faith".^[37] Previously, in October 2020, Titmouse Vancouver had become the first animation studio in Canada to join a union, joining the newly founded Animation Guild IATSE Local 938.^[38]

The Guild ventured into its first organizing campaign outside of the continental United States when workers for the Puerto Rican based animation studio Gladius Animation Studios unionized with them in July 2023.^[39] It was also reported, in July 2023, that there were efforts by 88 animators at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network to join the Guild, with their request for voluntary recognition of the union by management.^[40][41]

Governance

The Animation Guild is governed by its membership, which meets every two months. To supervise the Guild's affairs, every three years the membership elects a sixteen-person Executive Board by secret mail ballot. The Executive Board meets every month. The key executives on the Board are: Jeanette Moreno King (as President),^[42] Jack Thomas (as Vice President), and Steve Kaplan (as Business Representative).^[43] The Business Representative is the only paid, full-time elected official of the Guild, which also has a paid staff. All other Board members work at studios under the Guild's jurisdiction.

Collective bargaining agreements

The Animation Guild negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements, or CBAs, with companies employing persons under its jurisdiction.^[28] The present contract the Guild has with studios will expire in mid-2024, even though animated productions may be impacted by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.^[44]

Jurisdiction

The Animation Guild's jurisdiction is determined by its parent body, the IATSE, and as defined in its CBA.

Work jurisdiction

The Guild covers all artistic, creative and technical job categories in the animation process, with the following exceptions:

• Animation camerapersons are under the jurisdiction of IATSE Local 600.
• Track readers and soundpersons are under the jurisdiction of IATSE Local 695.
• Animation editors are under the jurisdiction of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700.
• Animation voice actors are covered by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
• Generally speaking, animation directors of theatrical features are not covered, as they are considered management due to their ability to hire and fire employees, but animation directors in other media such as television are covered.
• Although animation producers, production managers and non-creative support personnel are not covered under the Guild CBA, employers will sometimes sign a so-called "non-affiliate" agreement that allows them to cover them for purposes of health insurance and pension.
• Although most animation writers are under the Animation Guild's jurisdiction, some are covered by the Writers Guild of America West.
• So-called "freelancers" are covered under the CBA if they are working as employees of a signator employer. Bona fide independent contractors are not covered, since they are not employees of the company for which they perform work.

Although the Guild's traditional jurisdiction was limited to those working on animated films, in recent years the Guild has expanded to the point where a significant percentage of its members are employed in motion picture computer graphics. Today, both 2D and 3D artists work under the Guild's jurisdiction, both in animation and live action.

Geographical jurisdiction

All of the Animation Guild's current collective bargaining agreements are with employers in southern California. The IATSE and other IA locals have jurisdiction over animation in other areas of the United States and Canada. In December 2021 it was reported that the union had "close to 6,000 active members" and that most lived in Los Angeles, California.^[45] Previously, in 2016, it was reported that the Guild had "nearly 4,000" members.^[46]

Membership requirements

Membership in the Animation Guild can be acquired either through employment or organizing.

Animation artists, writers and technicians who are hired by employers signed to Guild CBAs will be required to join the Guild after thirty days' employment. The one-time initiation fee consists of two weeks' minimum scale wages for the job category in which the applicant has been hired. Dues are charged quarterly and are also based upon the scale rate for the job category as of the beginning of the quarter. As of August 2008 the highest dues rate is $101.00. In April 2018, the Guild announced that 25% of workers under its union contract were women, the first time for the union.^[3]

Animation artists, writers and technicians who are employed by companies that do not have TAG agreements, may become members if and when the company is organized. Potential members may assist the Guild in its organizing efforts by signing a confidential representation card. After the employer is organized and signed to a collective bargaining agreement, employees often are brought into membership without initiation fees.

NewDeal4Animation

#NewDeal4Animation was a Tweet protest created in November 2021 by The Animation Guild, advocating for equal pay between animation writers and live-action writers, also citing the effects of COVID-19 on their jobs.^[47][48][49] In a February 2021 video campaign featuring various animation writers, the Guild said that animation writers received less than half of live-action writers' pay.^[48][50] Other cited issues included changes in the workflow of studios, such as increased workload, out of proportion with shorter development time from technological advances; and paying animators for large first seasons at a lower rate (pay boosts are given for renewed series), but splitting that season into multiple smaller seasons for viewers.^[29] Negotiations for a new contract between TAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers—their last contract expired on October 30, 2021—began in November 2021,^[51] and in May 2022, a new contract was agreed to, with retroactive additional wages and special clauses for remote work.^[52]

References

1. Robb, David (March 29, 2022). "Contract Talks Coming Down To The Wire For SAG-AFTRA & The Animation Guild". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
2. Milligan, Mercedes (March 21, 2022). "News Bytes: TAG Rallies in Burbank, Alleged Disney Art Theft, Recent Passings & More". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
3. Sarto, Debbie Diamond (January 21, 2022). "The Animation Guild Celebrates 70th Anniversary". Animation World Network. from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
4. Dudok de Wit, Alex (February 9, 2022). "Animation Guild/AMPTP Negotiations To Resume Feb 14: These Are The Demands Of Color Designers, Story Artists, And Timing Directors". Cartoon Brew. from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
5. Kilkenny, Katie (December 1, 2021). "Animation Guild Takes Page From Larger IATSE Activism in Push for Higher Wages". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
6. "Guide to the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Guild, Local 839 Collection" (PDF). Online Archive of California. California State University, Northridge Special Collections & Archives. (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
7. Sito, Thomas (July 1, 1998). "The Hollywood Animation Union (M.P.S.C. #839)". Animation World Network. from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
8. Wyse, Will. "The Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Guild Collection". Special Collections & Archives. CSUN University Library. from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
9. Sito, Thomas (July 19, 2005). "The Disney Strike of 1941: How It Changed Animation & Comics". Animation World Network. from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
10. Prescod, Paul (May 30, 2021). "80 Years Ago Today, Disney Animation Workers Went on Strike". Jacobin. from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
11. Reigle, Matt (May 3, 2022). "The Brutal Truth Of The 1941 Disney Animators Strike". Grunge.com. from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
12. "Warner Brothers Battle & Terrytoons Strike". The Animation Guild. from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
13. Cohen, Karl F. (2004). Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America. McFarland & Company. pp. 163–164. ISBN 9780786420322.
14. "Milestones Of The Animation Industry In The 20th Century". Animation World Magazine. January 2000. from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
15. Lent, John A. (2016). "The Unfunny Tale of Labor and Cartooning in the US and Around the World". In Maxwell, Richard (ed.). The Routledge Companion to Labor and Media. New York City: Routledge. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-135-04249-3.
16. "The '50s Through the '90s". The Animation Guild. from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
17. Pendelton, Jennifer (November 18, 1994). "In the Draw : The American Animation Institute in North Hollywood gives aspiring artists a nuts-and-bolts education in the cartooning business". Los Angeles Times. from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
18. "Film Cartoonists Strike Hollywood Producers". New York Times. Associated Press. August 6, 1982. from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
19. "The county Federation of Labor sanctioned a cartoonists' strike..." UPI. August 17, 1982. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
20. Hulett, Steven (August 29, 2014). "'Mouse in Transition': Rodent Detectives and Studio Strikes (Chapter 11)". Cartoon Brew. from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
21. Guzulescu, Meg (July 2, 2018). "July Tuesday Matinees: Don Bluth at a Turning Point". Unframed. LACMA. from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
22. "A Brief History". The Society for Animation Studies. from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
23. Gentleman, Jeremy (August 31, 1999). "With Business Booming, Cartoonists Are Animated About Their Union : Competition: Concerned jobs could be exported to cheaper foreign markets, artists try to protect wages by organizing workers abroad". Los Angeles Times. from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
24. McNary, Dave (August 17, 2002). "Guild, Spaff toon 'Jungle'". Variety. from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
25. Solomon, Charles (August 10, 2002). "Cartoonists' Union Gets New Name". Los Angeles Times. from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
26. "Animation Guild Members Ratify New Collective Barganing Agreement by 96% Margin" (Press release). IATSE. May 23, 2003. from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
27. Baisley, Sarah (December 14, 2004). "DPS Film Roman Joins Animation Union Merriment". Animation World Network. from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
28. Dominguez, Noah (March 30, 2022). "She-Ra Reboot Boss Opens Up About Crew Being Underpaid, Overworked". Comic Book Resources. from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
29. Credo, Kevin (March 24, 2022). "#NewDeal4Animation: An Explainer on the Fight Behind Fan-Favorite Cartoons". GamerRant. from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
30. McNary, Dave (July 2, 2015). "Animation Guild Reaches Deal with Producers". Variety. from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
31. Robb, David (May 31, 2019). "Animation Guild Ratifies New Nickelodeon Contracts; Netflix's 'BoJack Horseman' Animators Want A Contract Too". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
32. Amidi, Amid (June 23, 2019). "Breaking: 'Bojack Horseman' Crew Is Victorious In Unionizing With Animation Guild". Cartoon Brew. from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
33. Robb, David (May 2, 2022). "ShadowMachine Production Workers Vote To Unionize With Animation Guild". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
34. Outlaw, Kafi (February 23, 2022). "Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites Production Workers File to Join Animation Union". ComicBook.com. from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
35. Kilkenny, Katie (February 22, 2022). "'Rick and Morty,' 'Solar Opposites' Production Workers File to Unionize With Animation Guild". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
36. "'Rick and Morty' Artists Push to Unionize Their Show—And Succeed". Cartoon Brew. September 13, 2014. from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
37. Kilkenny, Katie (January 10, 2022). "Animation Guild Expands Beyond L.A. With Unionization of Titmouse New York". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
38. Amidi, Amid (October 20, 2020). "Historic Moment in Canadian Animation: 98% Of Titmouse Vancouver Workers Vote To Unionize". Cartoon Brew. from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
39. Diamond Sarto, Debbie (July 14, 2023). "Puerto Rico-based Gladius Animation Workers Vote to Unionize". Animation World Network. from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
40. Haring, Bruce (July 19, 2023). "The Animation Guild Announces Unionization Efforts At Warner Bros. And Cartoon Network". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
41. Levston, Ryan (July 21, 2023). "Warner Bros., Cartoon Network Production Workers Petition to Unionize Amid Hollywood Strikes". IGN. from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
42. "Animation Guild Organizers Call for "New Era" at Rally Amid Negotiations". March 21, 2022. from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
43. Robb, David (March 20, 2022). "Animation Guild Members Rally For Fair Contract In Burbank". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
44. Taylor, Drew (July 21, 2023). "Animation Is No Longer Immune to Hollywood's Labor Unrest". The Wrap. from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
45. Dudok De Wit, Alex (December 2, 2021). "The Animation Guild Is Fighting For A New Contract: What You Need To Know". from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
46. Zakarin, Jordan (August 19, 2016). "'Sausage Party' Controversy Highlights How Animators Get Screwed". Inverse. from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
47. Animation Guild Writers [@TAGwriters] (November 17, 2021). "Did you know that there's a significant gap between the pay of Animation Guild writers and live action writers?" (Tweet). from the original on April 20, 2022 – via Twitter.
48. James, Tito W. (February 18, 2022). "Adult Animation Revolution: Animation Professionals Call For New Deal 4 Animation". Comicon.com. from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
49. Edwards, Belen (March 28, 2022). "Wake Up, Oscars: Animation isn't just for kids". Mashable. from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
50. Animation Guild Writers [@TAGwriters] (February 7, 2022). "In our new video campaign, dozens of animation workers and allies speak out for a #NewDeal4Animation" (Tweet). from the original on May 20, 2023 – via Twitter.
51. Carter, Justin (May 29, 2022). "The Animation Guild May Have Just Gotten the New Deal It Wanted". Gizmodo. from the original on May 29, 2022.
52. Pulliam-Moore, Charles (November 24, 2021). "The Animation Guild's Writers Are Ready to Negotiate for Pay Parity". Gizmodo. from the original on May 31, 2023.

Further reading

• Kilkenny, Katie (June 16, 2022). "Behind the Animation Guild's Push to Organize Production Workers". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on July 20, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• The Animation Guild blog
• Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson, by: TAG President Emeritus Tom Sito