Walt Disney Pictures VFX workers are unionizing

Pictures of Walt Disney

Walt Disney Studios visual effects crews have taken the significant step of unionizing after submitting an application to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for elections to unionize.

The vast majority (more than 80%) of the 18 Walt Disney Pictures visual effects crew members have signed authorization cards indicating their interest in unionizing.

This historic move marks the second time in history that visual effects professionals have come together to demand the same protections and rights as their colleagues. Earlier this month, Marvel Studios’ VFX crew voted to unionize starting August 21st. Polling is scheduled for September 11, and vote counting will take place on September 12.

Today, the brave visual effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures have overcome the fear and silence that have kept our community from having a voice in the business for decades. With the overwhelming majority of these teams calling for an end to “the way visual effects have always been,” this is A clear sign that our campaign is not about one studio or one company.“It’s about VFX workers across the industry using the tools at our disposal to elevate ourselves and forge a better path forward,” Mark Patch, organizer of IATSE VFX, said in a statement.

“The determination of these VFX professionals is not only commendable, but groundbreaking. Their collective action against the status quo represents a seismic shift at this critical moment in our industry. A chorus of demanding voices,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. The change is unprecedented, and demonstrates that our unifying movement is not about one company, but rather about setting a precedent of dignity, respect, and justice for all.”

Unionized visual effects workers are responsible for creating visual effects across the studio’s catalog, which includes “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.”

VFX workers have been non-union since the field was pioneered during the production of the first “Star Wars” films in the 1970s and 1980s. As part of this move, unionized workers demand fair compensation for all hours worked, adequate health care, and retirement. benefits and, more generally, the same rights and protections as are afforded to unionized co-workers who are already represented by IATSE.

These demands reflect increasingly mainstream calls for improvements across the visual effects industry and are underpinned by sentiment revealed by the IATSE Survey of Visual Effects Workers Rate and Conditions 2022, published in March.

With the application submitted on Monday, the job board election could begin in two to three weeks. If a majority of these workers vote to unionize in that election, the studio will be required to begin negotiations in good faith to reach a contract covering these workers as a group.