Netflix Animation Studios Production Staff Get First Union Contracts
Image Source: What’s on Netflix
Netflix Animation Studios (NAS) production staff are celebrating their first union contract that was ratified with The Animation Guild (TAG). The union began organizing in 2023 but finally won union recognition in a National Labor Relations Board election late last year. The union represents NAS production workers in Burbank, and the agreement passed with 89% support. Workers now have wage minimums, dismissal pay, and other workplace protections, along with a high watermark for Production Assistant pay. TAG organizer Allison Smartt expressed gratitude for those who came before to pave the way. She said, “Every production group to negotiate has built upon the foundation of those that came before them, and the NAS production contract really showcases that. NAS workers have won the highest Production Assistant rates in any TAG production agreement. In just five years since we organized the first group of animation production workers, this rate sets the highest bar yet, and it wouldn’t have happened without workers fighting together in solidarity.”
TAG assistant business representative Chaz Carroll added her thoughts, “The NAS agreement showcases what can be done when two sides come to the negotiation table with the sole purpose of getting a deal done… Did they get everything they wanted? No, but they got the best deal possible and didn’t leave the table until Netflix addressed the unit’s priorities.” This win for NAS workers follows similar wins for animation workers. Last year, DreamWork’s Remote artists and Ted staff voted to unionize with TAG and The Editor’s Guild. Both groups are currently negotiating first contracts.
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Source(s): Cartoon Brew, Animation Magazine
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