Members of the Animation Guild (TAG) have voted to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
More than 76% of those who voted were in favour of ratification, said TAG, a division of the IATSE film workers union that represents about 6,000 animation artists, writers, technicians and production workers, most of them based in Los Angeles.
The union reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP in late November, but some members voiced concerns about the agreement’s measures covering the use of AI in animation.
In a statement on the ratification, TAG’s executive board described the agreement as “the strongest contract the Union has negotiated in the last decade.” The statement added, however, that “Generative AI is a complex and deeply concerning issue for our industry, and we recognise the passion and apprehension it has sparked among our members. We are absolutely committed to protecting our industry. It’s also important to understand that union contracts alone cannot solve this challenge, as seen in the recent contracts of other entertainment unions with far larger memberships and leverage than our own.”
Among the gains TAG said it had secured in the new agreement, covering 2024-2027, were wage increases of 7% in the first year, 4% in the second and 3.5% in the third; increases to health and pension funds; and “craft-specific gains” including staffing minimums for writers.
The agreement’s AI protections, said the Guild, include “written notifications and the ability to consult with the production and identify alternative non-GenAI tools.”
TAG business representative Steve Kaplan said the agreement “is the next step forward in our goal to create the strongest contract for our members. The advancements made here are plenty, but there is also much work to be done with regard to addressing the priority matters that were not fully answered. The membership made clear to us that there is a need for more focus on Generative Artificial Intelligence, and we will attack the issue through a multi-faceted approach including lobbying for effective legislation, advocating for tax incentives for human-made work, and grieving against potential abuses.”
A statement from the AMPTP said its member companies “congratulate The Animation Guild, including its leadership, its bargaining committee and its membership on the ratification of this new three-year deal. The many talented and creative employees represented by The Animation Guild will immediately enjoy historic gains in wages, protections and other important improvements for their craft.”
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