Disney VFX Workers Make Major Move Towards Unionization

The 18 person in-house visual effects team at Walt Disney Studios has voted for unionization

According to Variety, more than 80 percent of the team voted to unionize. The unionization efforts at Walt Disney Studios come amid accusations of poor working conditions for VFX artists. The news also comes a little more than a week after VFX artists at Marvel Studios began their own initiative to unionize and amid ongoing strikes by both the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Those two groups have been pushing, among many things, for more equitable treatment in regards to pay and residuals, as well as limits on the usage of artificial intelligence in production.

In a statement, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) VFX organizer Mark Patch said, “Today, courageous Visual Effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures overcame the fear and silence that have kept our community from having a voice on the job for decades. With an overwhelming supermajority of these crews demanding an end to ‘the way VFX has always been,’ this is a clear sign that our campaign is not about one studio or corporation. It’s about VFX workers across the industry using the tools at our disposal to uplift ourselves and forge a better path forward.”

International President of IATSE Matthew D. Loeb noted, “Their collective action against the status quo represents a seismic shift in this critical moment in our industry.” He went on to say that the action sets “a precedent of dignity, respect, and fairness for all.”

In the coming weeks, the VFX artists at Walt Disney Studios will have a labor board election, which will determine whether the group will officially unionize.

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