Animation Guild To Hold Rally Sunday Amid Contract Talks With AMPTP

David Robb
·2 min read

The Animation Guild, saying that “the time is now for a fair contract,” will hold a rally in Burbank on Sunday in support of its ongoing negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The guild’s current film and TV contact had originally been set to expire last July 29 but has been extended several times to allow the on-again, off-again bargaining to continue.

“After an unprecedented 12 days of negotiations, The Animation Guild (TAG) Negotiations Committee continues to work hard to represent the best interests of all TAG members,” the guild, IATSE Local 839, said in a statement. “TAG members, family and friends, and community allies are invited to attend the rally and show support for a fair deal.”

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Speakers at Sunday’s rally will include IATSE vice president Michael Miller; TAG business rep Steve Kaplan; TAG organizer Ben Speight; and Negotiations Committee members Mairghread Scott, Teri Henrich-Cusumano and Sydney Sharp.

Sunday’s rally will get underway at 2 p.m. at IATSE Grips Local 80, 2520 W Olive Ave. in Burbank. It will be preceded by two hours of supporters having their car windows painted with TAG and IATSE logos and messages.

“We request that all media attending the event register at the check-in table,” the guild said. “TAG representatives will be on hand to connect you with Guild members and TAG leadership who have agreed to be interviewed. We humbly request that you avoid asking specific questions about negotiations proposals or updates. As negotiations are ongoing, we are in a media blackout and cannot discuss contract details. Representatives will be happy to share information about industry-wide issues, importance of solidarity actions, personal anecdotes, etc.”

Going into the contract talks, leaders of the 5,000-member guild told their members that major issues it intends to raise at the bargaining table include better terms for streaming shows, a significant pay increase for animation writers, and an outsized raise for the guild’s lowest-paid crafts.

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