www.thewrap.com: ”We desperately need a new deal that gives equal pay for equal work,“ Animation Guild committee chair Teri Cusumano told hundreds of members
Animation Guild members and allies rallied just up the road from the Disney Studios in Burbank Sunday to demand a “New Deal for Animation” for workers that should include equal pay to their “live-action counterparts.”
2 comments:
A few things came surprisingly to me. First of all, I didn’t know that The Animation Guild is part of IATSE! Secondly, I had no idea that they are also fighting for more equitable contracts. The article mentions that union members are demanding equal work pay between those who work for animation and those who work in live-actions. The article states that “writers, for example, are paid less for animated shows than for live-action shows because decades-long contract terms have grouped animation writers into the Animation Guild pay scale instead of the WGA pay scale”. So what I am hearing is that depending on the local/union you are in, your salary may vary, which I find completely unreasonable. On top of that, there is also a gap in the wages of different genders, which again, is problematic considering that gender does not determine ability. Another problem I’ve noticed is that many companies are demanding their workers to be skilled across various fields, in particular those that should not be part of their ‘job description’ and responsibilities.
I did not know there was an animation union, but I am glad they exist and are fighting for more equitable pay and protections. It doesn’t make sense to me that the pay scale is different for animated versus live-action productions. Perhaps this once developed because animated productions had a narrower audience and more limited distribution. But now with cable and streaming services, access to a broader audience is routine. It seems ridiculous that “AMPTP only is enforced for animation studios based in Los Angeles County”. This is clearly systematically oppressing animators who can’t afford to move to LA, and as Crystal Kan pointed out, this is especially true for artists of color. Considering IATSE just barely got through this past year without going on strike, it seems now more than ever these different guilds and unions need to band together as a united front to demand better set working standards and then go on to negotiate their individual departments.
Post a Comment