After a unanimous vote in a National Labor Relations Board ballot count on Tuesday, both parties will be allowed a period of five business days to raise objections before the vote is certified.
Apple TV Visual Effects workers, who filed for an election to unionize in late June, have unanimously voted to join IATSE during a National Labor Relations Board ballot count on Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A period of five business days will allow the two parties to raise objections before the vote is certified. Negotiations may begin immediately.
“I couldn’t be more thankful to our organizers for bringing yet another victory to VFX workers,” Apple Studios VFX production manager Nick DeGrazia said in a statement. “I hope that we can continue this wave across the entire industry so we can share the benefits, rights and respect we deserve.”
The organizing unit consists of 17 dedicated workers across six Apple Studios shows, including Bubbi (Outcome), Jiminy (Lost Bus), Foxtrot (The Last Frontier), Government Cheese (Bonneville), Surface (Legacy S2), and Blackbird. These workers hold critical positions for getting Apple’s content made, including VFX Production Supervisor/Manager, VFX Associate Production Manager, Senior VFX Coordinator, VFX Coordinator, VFX Assistant Coordinator, VFX Production Assistant, VFX Witness Camera Operator, VFX Production Artist (a.k.a. In-House Compositor, Virtual Art Director), VFX On-Set Supervisor, VFX On-Set Production Supervisor/Manager, Lead VFX, Data Wrangler, VFX Data Wrangler, and VFX Jr. Data Wrangler.
By filing for this election, in-house VFX workers at Apple Studios join a growing movement that has seen significant victories over the past year, including unionization bids by Avatar VFX artists, Marvel/Disney VFX staffers, and DNEG workers in British Columbia and Montreal. This momentum of the VFX Union campaign, says IATSE, represents a unified call for a voice within the industry and a rightful place within IATSE for both client and vendor-side VFX professionals.
VFX coordinator Valerie Wicks previously stated, “Apple is a wonderful place to work, so I participated [in the union drive] partly to keep it that way… But most of all, I participated for the greater goal of unionizing all of VFX, across every studio. That’s the dream, and we are now one step closer.”
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—Laurén brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
