Visual effects workers at Walt Disney Studios are in the process of organizing unions… following similar efforts in the Marvel camp
- The action comes amid ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA
- Disney employees have filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election on the issue
- Visual effects employees at Marvel agreed to a union vote earlier this month
Visual effects industry workers for Walt Disney Studios are taking steps to join a union as they have filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to hold elections on the issue.
The move came after more than 80 percent of Walt Disney Pictures’ 18 internal crew members filed paperwork showing they wanted to join a union. Variety reported.
The direction toward unionization — which is emerging from the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes — marks uncharted waters for the VFX industry, which has been operating for four decades amid the rise of the Star Wars movies.
IATSE VFX organizer Mark Patch praised the Disney VFX workers in a statement Monday for their bravery, saying they had “overcome the fear and silence that for decades have kept our community from having a voice at work.”
The move comes weeks after Marvel’s visual effects workers approved a union vote next month, with a Sept. 11 deadline and counting of votes set for Sept. 12.
The latest: Visual effects industry workers for Walt Disney Studios are taking steps to join a union after filing paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to organize elections on the issue. The exterior of the studio in Burbank, California was photographed last month
“With an overwhelming majority of these crews demanding an end to ‘as VFX has always been’, this is a clear sign that our campaign is not about one studio or company,” said Patch.
Patch said workers in the VFX landscape use their tools to elevate themselves “and carve a better path forward.”
IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said that “the determination of these VFX employees is not only commendable, but groundbreaking.”
Loeb said “their collective action against the status quo represents a seismic shift at this critical time in our industry.”
He said that “the chorus of voices demanding change is unprecedented and shows that our united movement is not about one company, but about setting a precedent of dignity, respect and fairness for all.”
The people who focus on forming unions have been involved in the studio’s major projects, such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King.
The focus for the workers would be compensation commensurate with the hours worked, health care benefits, retirement benefits and other protections and entitlements received by IATSE union workers, the paper reported.
The move towards unionization comes amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Picketers were spotted outside Disney on July 31
The move toward unionization marks uncharted waters for the VFX industry, which has been operating for four decades since the rise of the Star Wars movies
IATSE released a report last March titled the 2022 VFX Worker Rate and Condition Survey, which found that workers were meeting their goals mentioned above.
The outlet reported that elections through the Labor Council could begin within two weeks.
If the workers voted to join a union, Disney would be mandated to begin talks about contracting the group.