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The Animation Guild Concludes First Week of Negotiations with the AMPTP

Updated: Sep 16




The Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television

Producers (AMPTP) have concluded their first week of negotiations without reaching an

agreement.


On Monday, August 12th, members of the TAG Negotiations table team met with the AMPTP at

their offices in Sherman Oaks, with dozens of TAG Negotiations support team members

attending via Zoom. Steve Kaplan, TAG’s Business Representative and lead negotiator, shared a

presentation of the proposals TAG submitted to the AMPTP. These proposals addressed critical

issues facing the animation industry and TAG members that included AI protections, improving

streaming provisions, craft-specific issues, and job security. The producers then shared their

proposals with the Union’s bargaining team.


Following the first day of bargaining, TAG’s Negotiations Committee met throughout the week

to review the AMPTP’s proposals, counter-proposals, and prepare appropriate responses. By

late Thursday, Aug. 20th, it was clear that while the Union was able to achieve tentative

agreements on a few subjects, the two parties remain far apart on key issues

affecting animation workers.


TAG is committed to returning to the table on Sept. 16 to focus on issues decimating the

animation industry. Though negotiations have moved more slowly than anticipated, progress is

being made, and so the Negotiations Committee voted to extend the contract through Sept. 20,

2024 to allow for the second week of discussions.


“We came to the negotiations with a list of concerns and changes prioritized by TAG members.

It is disappointing, but not surprising, that we could not get meaningful responses back for all

the issues we shared in the first week,” says Business Representative Steve Kaplan. “The

Negotiations Committee looks forward to resuming our discussions in September when we

expect the AMPTP will provide substantive responses and be prepared to make the necessary

changes animation workers are asking for.”


More information about TAG’s negotiations can be found at

# # #

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. Today, the Guild represents more

than 5,000 talented artists, technicians, writers, and production workers in the animation

industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions. Learn more at

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