Animation production workers at yet another hit-maker studio have organized for collective bargaining under the guidance of The Animation Guild (IATSE local 839), this time the FOX-owned Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North, HouseBroken; Apple TV+’s Central Park). The news was announced Monday via Twitter.
More great news to share! Production workers @BentoBoxEnt are now officially represented by the #AnimationGuild. Let’s show them a big welcome to the #Union! Congrats!@IATSE @colordesign839 #ProductionStrong #WeAre8398 pic.twitter.com/VvPQi7sw43
— The Animation Guild // #WeAre839 (@animationguild) October 3, 2022
The group of 100 unionizing employees — including production crew in audio coordinator, development and design supervisor, digital supervisor, writers’ assistant, production coordinator and other roles — was voluntarily recognized by the studio after a third-party arbitrator completed a card check on Friday (September 30). A TAG rep shared details with Hollywood Reporter today; Bento Box had no additional comment.
Prior to the move by production workers, TAG was already representing animation artists and writers at Bento Box. A month ago, 15 pre- and postproduction editorial employees at the studio unionized with The Editors Guild after another card check.
In the wake of its push for the #NewDeal4Animation and this summer’s ratification of the new Master Contract, TAG has won a number of unionization victories at top studios and show shops. Most recently, the New York-based crew of Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News joined up, inspired by the historic unionization of Titmouse New York. All three Titmouse studios are now organized under TAG, as are (as of 2022) the teams behind The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad! and Solar Opposites, as well as L.A.-based studio ShadowMachine (BoJack Horesman, Tuca & Bertie, Robot Chicken).
