TAKING OUR INDUSTRY BACK

Fighting for what we deserve

Animation deserves respect. For decades, an eroding respect for our art form has kept what we deserve out of reach: with shrinking crews and tightening budgets, CEO profits grow while the same kind of mailbox residuals and merchandising payments that live action writers and directors enjoy have seemed unachievable for animation workers.

We have collectively made billions for this industry and have seen dwindling fractions of return. Our healthcare is funded by residuals, but animation executives pocket far more of ours than they do live action residuals. By investing in organizing, empowering animation workers everywhere, and getting involved in the larger labor landscape, TAG can build the power to fight for what’s ours.

WE DESERVE RESIDUALS

TAG covers writers, directors, visual developers, and creatives of all kinds. We all contribute to the success of animated programs, and their long lives on toy shelves - but unlike the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, or SAG-AFTRA, animation workers have no built-in residual payments that go to our pockets. And unlike other IATSE locals, The Animation Guild gets fewer residual payments that go into our healthcare plan than live action does. Since the 80’s, animation workers have had little voice or vote in what is bargained around our healthcare, and it shows.

We need respect and we need a well-funded healthcare plan that we have a say in. We need to fight for residuals - for a cut of the merchandising that lines our producers’ pockets, and streaming residuals to fund our health and pension.

WE NEED JOBS

The work of ten people ten years ago is now done by one animation worker. The work of one animation worker in the US is now done for worse wages and worse conditions by a non-union worker elsewhere. And mass layoffs have ravaged whoever was left, all to feed a corporate bottom line. We can’t stay still on these issues anymore - we need to invest in organizing non-union jobs, empower animation workers globally to lessen the impacts of outsourcing, and fight back against mass layoffs and AI replacement.

Invest in Organizing

    • Strike preparedness wing: Build an effective boycott system. Invest in learning from strike experience.

    • Corporate research arm: Tap into volunteer and hired assessments of where our work supports the most immense amount of company profits, to better understand our next contract fight.

    • Spend wisely, eliminate excess, and reinvest in our members: create short-term paid positions (3-6 months) for members to organize our union the way they know best while being trained on the ins and outs of our union. Look into creating a program to help our most in-need members to gain extra health and pension hours in their banks through filling volunteer office needs.

Empower Animation Workers Everywhere

    • Global solidarity: No one can fully stop outsourcing, but teaming up with animation workers in heavily-outsourced areas to empower everyone to fight for better wages together will create a sustainable industry.

    • New unionizing: Indie production facilities, virtual studios, and internet-exclusive content might mean small budgets, but it doesn’t have to mean a lack of job protections. Invest into organizing new and never-before-unionized companies.

    • Access to unions: No matter where you work, you deserve to know how to unionize your workplace. Publish information on how to unionize, even for non-animation jobs.

    • Bring back the wage survey: Everyone deserves to know what a fair rate is, and how our financial landscape has been impacted.

    • Community organizing arm: Connect with animation consumers and local communities in building solidarity. Our fight can’t happen without consumers on our side.

    • “Future TAG” program: Focused on non-union animation workers and students. Hold events, mixers, and educational tours on the benefits of unionizing.

Honor Our History

    • Prioritize Animation Labor History: Did you know that animation has radical roots? Our union didn’t start with IATSE - it began as one of the first race- and gender-integrated unions in entertainment.

    • Teach our roots, learn from our past: Documenting, archiving, and teaching our history in the form of podcasts, animations, and more.

Get involved in the labor landscape

    • Create partnerships across unions: Animation workers deserve a voice in how our healthcare is bargained. That means a true seat and democratic voice at the bargaining table for TAG. Understanding and connecting with our fellow IATSE locals means mutual work for all of our success.

    • Connect deeply to bargain better: The WGA and SAG-AFTRA didn’t bargain in the same room, but they bargained at the same time, and won big. Aligning our contract cycles with other entertainment unions will help us leverage our power.

    • Student volunteers and internship opportunities should be offered at TAG.