The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE, has reached an agreement with the animation producers on a three-year collective bargaining contract, which will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2006 and continue through July 31, 2009.
The new agreement will offer Animation Guild members the same wage minimum increases, health and pension benefits as the IATSE Hollywood Basic Agreement, which is awaiting news of ratification. Included in the new agreement are a 75-cent-per-hour increase in the weekly wage minimums for the first year and 3% compounded increases for the second and third years; substantial increases to benefit contributions for freelance animation writers; and improvements in the health insurance, pension plan and Individual Account Plan, paralleling those in the IA Basic Agreement.
‘We had three primary goals for this contract: salary and pension increases, no givebacks, and major increases in the health and pension contributions for freelance writers,’ says Animation Guild president Kevin Koch. ‘I’m thrilled that we got all three. It’s a good contract for all parties, and I expect overwhelming approval from the membership.’
TAG business representative Steve Hulett adds, ‘I’ve been a participant in and witness to shouting matches, walkouts, rancor and general ill will. But these negotiations had none of that, and I give a lot of credit to Matt Loeb, Mike Miller and Steve Aredas from IATSE, and to Carol Lombardini of the AMPTP and the producer representatives. Everyone was professional and cooperative throughout.’
The new contract has been unanimously recommended by the guild’s negotiating committee and is pending ratification by the guild membership. The Animation Guild is located on the web at www.animationguild.org.
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