Group includes 83 artists working across James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment productions, including ‘Avatar’ films, who are seeking representation by IATSE, marking the first U.S. vendor-side VFX artist filing with the NLRB.
Walt Disney Studios’ visual effects (VFX) workers yesterday filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The unionizing group includes 83 artists working on James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment productions, including the Avatar film series, across VFX departments, including stage, environments, render, postvis, sequence, turnover, and kabuki.
According to IATSE, this marks the first vendor-side VFX artists in the United States to formally file with the National Labor Relations Board for a unionization election.
Environment artist Summer Benton said, “Coming together as the Avatar family, we aim to achieve improvements that will help us be able to maintain our highest quality of work in a more sustainable work and keep bringing awe and inspiration to our leadership and to VFX productions everywhere.”
The union noted that while positions like production designers/art directors, camera operators, sound, editors, hair and makeup artists, costumes/wardrobe, script supervisors, grips, lighting, props, and paint have historically been represented by IATSE in motion picture and television, the workers in VFX classifications have not.
Sequence Lab coordinator Patrick DeVaney commented, “I am organizing because every other department on a film is unionized, and VFX is long overdue for the benefits, more equitable pay, and respect that those other departments have earned for themselves through collective bargaining."
This announcement follows the unanimous vote by Marvel and Walt Disney Pictures' in-house VFX staffers to unionize in September and October, respectively, and DNEG workers successfully unionizing in British Columbia in November.
IATSE International president Matthew D. Loeb remarked on VFX Union’s movement, “We stand at the cusp of a new era in the VFX industry. An era where every worker is valued, where their contributions are acknowledged, and their rights fiercely protected. This moment is a beacon for the entire industry.”
Source: IATSE
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
