Following a special meeting, the Animation Guild’s Executive Board voted to donate $210,000 to support all International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members through the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) and the Los Angeles Federation of Labor’s Labor Community Services division.
While most sectors of the entertainment industry are suffering significant job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Animation Guild members’ work has not been impacted, and guild membership has increased since the last quarter. As a result, the Executive Board determined that the Animation Guild IATSE Local 839, as part of the larger IATSE community, should pay it forward by supporting those who are in need now or will need assistance in the future.
“It’s very difficult to meet with other union representatives and hear about the struggles our IATSE brothers and sisters are facing. So many people are in need. Yet, our Guild members have been very fortunate; animation employers quickly understood our work could continue effectively from home,” said Steve Kaplan, Business Representative of The Animation Guild. “Times are hard for all of us, but 839 members are in a unique position to help the rest of our IATSE family. Donating these funds was the quickest way for us to do that.”
“We have a unique blessing in that we’re still able to work, so I think it’s our duty to lend a hand to others in IATSE who are having a harder time right now,” said Executive Board member Jack Cusumano.
The MPTF will receive $200,000 from the Animation Guild to support all IATSE members, while Labor Community Services will receive $10,000 to support their ongoing efforts to bring food to union members.
More information about MPTF for IATSE members: https://mptf.com/covid-19-relief-funds/#iatse
More information about Labor Community Services: https://thelafed.org/labor-community-services/
The Animation Guild, also known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. As a labor union, we represent more than 5,000 artists, technicians and writers in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.
