After negotiations spanning almost a year, The Animation Guild announces the ratification of a new contract for animation workers at Nickelodeon Animation Studios that combines agreements for 2D, 3D, and production workers into one comprehensive contract. The agreement was ratified by 89% of those who voted.
“This contract is the direct result of not only a strong public showing of solidarity among our members, but also demonstrates the power of what multiple crafts working together can do,” says Negotiations Committee member Candice Stephenson.
Kyle Neswald, another member of the Negotiations Committee, adds, “It’s hard to encapsulate how much effort member-volunteers of the committee put into researching, communicating, informing, organizing, energizing, huddling, retooling, negotiating, arguing, fighting for better terms.”
TAG reports the newly ratified contract introduces several groundbreaking provisions that prioritize the well-being and professional development of animation workers at the studio.
“The work of the Nickelodeon Animation Studios Negotiation Committee mirrored the cohesive solidarity of the Negotiations Committee that bargained the 2021-2024 Master Agreement,” says Steve Kaplan, The Animation Guild’s Business Representative. “We were able to get the company to voluntarily recognize animation production before negotiations and include production workers for the first time. The committee stood strong on all of our priority issues and helped deliver a groundbreaking agreement.”
Contract gains include:
- Enhanced Bereavement Leave: For the first time in TAG history, employees will now have access to three days of bereavement leave, providing crucial support during difficult times.
- Minimum Staffing Requirements: The contract establishes minimum staffing requirements for writers, requiring at least two staff writers, in addition to supervisory roles.
- Increased Compensation for Storyboard Artists: Storyboard artists who undertake writing responsibilities will receive a15% increase to their minimum compensation, recognizing the dual nature of their role and its significance in the production process.
- Wage Increases for Production Workers: A significant increase in wages for production workers, ensuring that they are appropriately rewarded for their contributions.
- Compensation for CG Supervisors: In recognition of their specialized skills and leadership roles, CG supervisors will receive a 15% increase to their minimum compensation.
Ensuring increased wages for production workers in their first agreement with Nickelodeon was an important milestone for the unionized employees. “We are securing a raise for our lowest-paid members,” says Claire Norris, a production coordinator and member of the Negotiations Committee. “Throughout the last year of negotiations, the passion and hard work of everyone at the studio has helped us set important precedents for multiple animation crafts.”
Brian Keane, EVP, Production & Operations, Nickelodeon, commented on behalf of the studio, “Nickelodeon Animation Studios is pleased to have reached this agreement with The Animation Guild. This agreement reflects Nickelodeon’s commitment to being a best-in-class workplace and will support the continued growth of our business. We commend the union for their hard work in securing this contract and look forward to our continued collaboration.”
In other breaking TAG news, members of the Guild have joined with a Negotiating Committee representing IATSE’s 13 West Coast studio Locals and other unions in a meeting with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to begin negotiations related to the shared benefits motion picture industry pension and health plan (MPIPHP).
The first day of talks, which are expected to run through the rest of the week, follows the “Many Crafts, One Fight” rally on March 3. Thousands of Hollywood union members and supporters came out to demonstrate demand for strong, fair contracts for behind-the-scenes workers.
The Animation Guild, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. The labor union represents more than 5,000 artists, technicians and writers in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.
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