The Animation Guild Reaches a Tentative Three Year Contract Deal With Studios

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Animation Guild has reached a tentative three-year contract deal with studios and streaming services for its Los Angeles members, following intense negotiations over emerging technology.

What’s Happening:

The Animation Guild has reached a tentative three-year contract deal with studios and streaming services for its Los Angeles members, after negotiations over emerging technology.
The union announced the agreement on Friday, concluding three months of intermittent negotiations.
The provisional pact incorporates provisions related to AI language, specifically “notification and consultation provisions,” although the union did not disclose further details regarding this significant aspect of the agreement.
The agreement includes a 7% wage increase in the first year, followed by 4% in the second year and 3.5% in the third year, along with remote work provisions.
It also secures new funding for health and pension plans, preventing extra costs or benefit cuts, and recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday.
Additionally, it modifies specific crafts, establishing minimum staffing for animation writers and enhancing the new media side letter.
Guild negotiators believe the main issue in contract talks is artificial intelligence. A January survey found that 29% of animation jobs could be disrupted by AI in the next three years, with entry-level positions being especially at risk.
A report before the union's contract discussions also noted that AI could affect nearly all job categories represented by TAG members.
The union, representing over 5,000 animation professionals in collective bargaining, commenced negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on August 12.
In addition to its primary concern of establishing regulations on generative AI, the labor organization aimed to address the outsourcing of work from studios in the Los Angeles area to foreign locations.
Recently, the labor organization has intensified its efforts by protesting at the headquarters of major companies like Netflix, DreamWorks Animation, and Warner Bros. Animation.
Workers presented a petition addressing the financial struggles of animation professionals and demanding "livable wages and job security."
Animation workers will soon receive more details about the agreement as the union prepares for a ratification vote, though the date for the vote has not yet been announced.

What They're Saying:

Steve Kaplan, the union’s business representative and chief negotiator: “Our Table and Support Team members were stalwart in their resolve to achieve all that we could during these discussions. As always, this new agreement gives us a solid foundation to work with as we work to keep our industry strong over the next three years.”
Joey Clift, a member of the negotiation committee and a writer: “This really, for us, feels like a do-or-die negotiation cycle.”
Julie Prescott, a writer added: “The American animation industry is at stake, and the drawing kid from your childhood is not going down without a fight.”

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