Labor Relations Board Paves Way For Disney Animation Production Workers Unionization Election

IATSE and The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) announced on Wednesday that the National Labor Relations Board issued a direction of election that would allow production workers of Walt Disney Animation Studios to vote on whether to unionize under IATSE.

According to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the decision means that full time and project-based production coordinators, production supervisors, and production managers are eligible to unionize through the election process. The workers are seeking benefits such as improved pay and portable health care that will travel with them from job to job.

Last March, TAG first revealed that the union was attempting to form a bargaining unit composed of around 78 such workers at the Encanto and Wish studio. At the time, it said Disney had denied its request to voluntarily recognize the group of workers and was attempting to exclude production supervisors and production managers from the group that could participate in a NRLB vote, arguing that they work as managers.

Of today’s news, several workers issues statements including production coordinator Maggie Hughes, who said, “this win exemplifies the core of why we’re unionizing. We knew throughout this process that everyone in our unit deserves to be eligible but the company still decided to pursue this long and arduous process in an attempt to divide us.”

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Disney Animation for comment.

In the absence of a federal government shutdown next week, the election will run from Oct. 10-31, with votes expected to be counted on Nov. 1.

According to the union, TAG already represents production supervisors and production managers on projects including Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad! and Solar Opposites (produced at 20th Television Animation, which is owned by Disney) as well as Nickelodeon, ShadowMachine, Titmouse New York and Titmouse Los Angeles.