Second “March on the Boss” Ramps Up The Animation Guild’s Negotiations Actions
Burbank, CA, November 12, 2024 — Hundreds of Animation Guild (TAG) workers gathered today outside Glendale's DreamWorks’ office to present a petition signed by more than 58,000 working TAG members and public supporters to DreamWorks executives. The petition reminds these bosses that while animation workers kept content alive during the COVID lockdown, and animation is outperforming on screens big and small, animation workers are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, losing their healthcare, homes, and livelihoods.
TAG has been in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) since August. To date, the Guild’s priority issues are still on the table. They are fighting to get the best deal possible for animation workers that includes fair wages, job security, and common-sense guardrails around Generative AI use. Following the delivery of the petition to Netflix last month, this second “March on the Boss” at DreamWorks is part of a series of actions to show employers that TAG members will stand together for as long as it takes to get the contract they deserve.
Before the petition was delivered, Character Designer Michelle Drennan gave a speech to the crowd, later expounding: “We’re here today because the AMPTP has not responded in a realistic way to our biggest asks. We need to show them that we are not going to back down without the things that we need to make sure our industry survives. We’re facing unprecedented and existential threats, and we are taking it seriously. There have been numerous news articles where they’re talking about replacing us, and cutting our workforce by huge numbers. We’re not just going to sit back and take it.”
Among the Guild members in attendance, Animator Ashley McGivern says: “I came out here because I’m personally sick and tired of there not being a sustainable model for us. In particular, [animators’ jobs] have been outsourced for the better part of 30 to 40 years, and we’re often underappreciated. Now this is starting to happen to Storyboard Artists and Layout Artists, and I don’t want to see this industry dissolve.”
More information on negotiations can be found at www.TAGnegotiations2024.com.
The Animation Guild, also known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. As a labor union, we represent more than 5,000 artists, technicians, writers, and production crews in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.