Join TAG's Member Engagement (TAG-ME) Group

WHAT'S NEXT?

Our 2024-2027 contract has been ratified! So now it’s time to rest—right? Wrong! Yes, we’re post-ratification. But now we need to switch into pre-negotiations mode to start preparing for our 2027-2030 contract.

TAG negotiates its Master Agreement every three years, and it took three years of planning and hard work to achieve the gains in our most recent contract. If we want to grow those gains in 2027, we need to start now.

During the past three years, TAG member engagement grew exponentially, and we saw the payoff at our Stand With Animation negotiations kickoff rally, Marches on the Boss, and Solidari-Tea Breaks, to name just a few of the ways TAG members showed up in force. While it’s great to have that kind of engagement during negotiations, we need that activism to be ongoing. The more continual engagement we have, the more leverage we have to enforce the existing contract terms and expand on them in the future.

There are many ways for TAG members to stay engaged. We realize that everyone has a different amount of time and energy to give, as well as unique skills and abilities. Because of this, there are actions to suit every member.

Join TAG's Member Engagement (TAG-ME) Group

As we entered into our 2024 negotiations, TAG-ME was crucial to expanding member activism. Our goal by 2027 is to increase member engagement to a supermajority. To do this we need more TAG-ME volunteers to work with our craft committees, community committees, Shop Stewards, TAG leadership, and general membership. This work takes many forms:

Conducting 1-on-1 conversations with other TAG members.
Small group meetings during lunch or after work with your colleagues.
Studio-based organizing that includes every co-worker regardless of job title and work location.

If you’re interested in joining TAG-ME, email mobilize@tag839.org.

Join or Lead a Committee

TAG’s craft and community committees have been crucial at the bargaining table and to also help ensure that the Producers follow the contract. Committees mobilize co-workers around common concerns. This helps identify current issues that need to be addressed or grieved, determine future contract needs, and grow member engagement through common goals.

Find out more about TAG’s existing committees, as well as how to form a new committee, at animationguild.org/committees/.

Become a Shop Steward

Our Shop Stewards are the eyes and ears of TAG’s elected leadership and staff on the ground in studios and production companies. They are a key component in being able to implement any kind of internal organizing. They are also essential, along with TAG’s committees, for bringing to light current contract issues and violations that need to be addressed and enforced through the grievance process, issue petition, shows of union solidarity, and forms of collective action that are protected by our contract and under law. Being able to address issues and enforce contract violations is an important show of union strength between negotiations.

A list of Shop Stewards can be found here: animationguild.org/about-the-guild/

If you’re interested in becoming a Shop Steward, contact TAG Field Representative Leslie Simmons at leslie.simmons@tag839.org.

Support Organizing Efforts

For members who feel that what we achieved in this round of negotiations isn’t enough, it’s important to realize that we made historic gains using the leverage we had. In order to increase that leverage to make even greater gains, we need to do more than just increase the involvement of our current membership.

Studios are expanding beyond the geographical boundaries of our contract, hiring animation workers in classifications covered in our agreement for less money and fewer benefits. This undermines TAG’s strength. We need to make sure our entire industry—across the U.S.—is represented by TAG.

These past few years have seen historic additions to TAG, from Powerhouse Animation in Austin to White Board Geeks in Virginia to Gladius Studios in Puerto Rico. With every new crew that joins TAG, our leverage grows. Plus, it also opens up opportunities for members to work outside of Southern California and still be a part of the Guild.

We need TAG members to support organizing efforts throughout our industry. If you want to get involved, email organize@tag839.org.

Also, let your non-union colleagues know that they can learn more about organizing their productions at animationguild.org/start-a-union/.

Everyday Actions

Not everyone has the time or circumstances to commit to TAG-ME, participate in a craft committee, be a Shop Steward, or join the Negotiations Committee. That doesn’t mean you can’t be involved. Here are other ways you can join the effort to increase member engagement:

Read This Week @ TAG and The Pegboard to stay updated on meeting dates, Union news, and events that you can attend or volunteer at to show your solidarity.
Attend General Membership meetings to make sure you’re informed on the latest union happenings.
Communicate with your Shop Stewards to understand what’s happening at your place of work and share any concerns you might have.

Fill out the volunteer form at animationguild.org/sign-up-to-volunteer/ for additional opportunities like making graphics, helping at a fundraiser, or other ways to participate that fit the amount of time and energy you have to give.

Whatever you are able to do: Do it!

There is no limit to how many TAG members can develop into leaders in some capacity. Our working conditions and benefits can only improve if every single TAG member is willing to get involved.