Animation Workers March on Netflix, Present Petition for Fair Deal

The Animation Guild, TAG 839, ramped up negotiations with a ‘March on the Boss’ to remind execs at the streamer that members will stand together to achieve fair wages, job security, and guardrails around Generative AI use.

Hundreds of The Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839 members marched on Thursday to Burbank's Netflix office to present a petition to executives, signed by almost 2,000 members, to remind the streamer that while workers kept content production alive during the COVID lockdown, and animation is outperforming live-action on screens and in merchandise sales, they face unprecedented levels of unemployment.

TAG has been in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) since August. To date, the Guild’s priority issues, such as fair wages, job security, and common-sense guardrails around Generative AI use, are still on the table. This first ‘March on the Boss’ is part of a series of actions to show employers that TAG will stand together for as long as it takes to get the contract they deserve.

The petition was presented by Elianne Melendez, production coordinator and negotiations committee member, who stated, "Delivering this petition is flexing our power as a union. Workers, who have given a lot to this industry, are partners with the studios, but have not been treated as such. This is showing the AMPTP that we won't be the so-called nice union any longer."

Visual development artist Nash Dunnigan said, "My biggest fear right now is AI. We need to have guardrails to protect all of us and make sure animation has heart and people behind it – not algorithms."

"We need to have staffing minimums, or this industry is going to go away," added showrunner Joanna Lewis. "Our children will not be able to be animators in the future. It will cease to be a viable career path. They're outsourcing our jobs to different countries, and with the threat of AI, it's become an existential threat."

More information on negotiations can be found here.

Source: The Animation Guild

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.