Remote DreamWorks Animation staffers have gone public with their attempt to unionize with The Animation Guild.
The IATSE Local announced on Wednesday that employees who work remotely on L.A.-based film and television projects had submitted a request for voluntary recognition of the union to management and filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.
The Animation Guild is attempting to represent around 75 employees, in roles ranging from character effects artist to production coordinator to animator to technical director, in collective bargaining.
In a statement, union supporter and Oregon-based story artist Anthony Holden said, “While it is a tremendous privilege to be able to work remotely in the industry I love and alongside people I love, it is unfair to be treated as a second-class employee.” The staffer, who has been at the company for seven years, added, added that remote workers do not have the same health care coverage or retirement benefits as their colleagues who work in-studio.
According to the union, the studio has not yet responded to its unionization attempt. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Glendale-based company for comment.
In a statement to THR, department technical director specialist Charles Billingsley added, “By joining TAG, I’m excited to regain the same health care, retirement plans, and protections my coworkers enjoy, and that I had before going remote.” He added, “For me, this is about more than benefits. It’s about staying connected, coming together as one, and ensuring we can all continue doing the work we love for years to come.” Billingsley has worked at DreamWorks for six years.
The union announced this latest organizing push on the same day it publicized that DreamWorks production workers had ratified their first union contract. After voting to join The Animation Guild and another IATSE Local, The Editors Guild, in the spring of 2024, 96 percent of participating union members recently opted to support the inaugural deal. Ninety-two percent of the bargaining unit participated in the vote.
The new deal offers an array of standard union contract provisions, including wage minimums, yearly raises, no annual healthcare premiums, retirement contributions and sixth and seventh-day pay for salaried and on-call employees.