On Monday, April 24, a supermajority of employees at Austin’s Powerhouse Animation Studios offered a letter to the corporate’s bosses searching for voluntary recognition to affix The Animation Guild (TAG), Native 839. The group additionally filed a petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board to carry a unionization election if it turns into mandatory.
What’s important about this announcement? Monday’s information made historical past because it represented the primary time that TAG will set up a marketing campaign in a right-to-work state. It’s additionally simply the third time that the group is organizing a marketing campaign exterior of L.A. County. Beforehand, the group efficiently organized campaigns at Titmouse New York and amongst employees at Tooning Out the Information. Though most of TAG’s expertise is in L.A. County, the group says it’s working laborious to give you a regionally particular settlement for Powerhouse that may meet the market situations of Texas’ animation business.
What’s a right-to-work state? The time period described states which have handed laws that no particular person might be pressured to pay dues or charges to a labor union as a situation of their employment. Meaning it’s as much as every particular person worker whether or not or to not be part of a union, though they might nonetheless be protected by any collective bargaining settlement negotiated by the union.
Who will probably be represented by TAG? The Powerhouse Animation Studios bargaining unit consists of 137 employees. Lots of the staff work on fashionable animated collection similar to Netflix’s Castlevania and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Powerhouse additionally operates a smaller studio in Los Angeles, which is already signed to a collective bargaining settlement with the Guild.
What do Powerhouse staff need? In response to a TAG launch, Powerhouse staff are in search of improved wage equality and job safety protections.
What are they saying? Powerhouse Studios character artists Suzanne Sharp mentioned:
Each one among our co-workers is integral to the success of Powerhouse, and all of us put a lot ardour and energy into making it occur each day. We’ve got confirmed ourselves to be nice property to our shoppers. We need to empower management to barter on extra equal floor with our shoppers and safe contracts which can be fairer and that meet our wants as an animation studio that constantly creates high-quality artwork. I’m so proud to be right here and so pleased with us all for confirming such an amazing supermajority of assist to kind our Union with TAG.
Powerhouse manufacturing supervisor Ryan Arrington added:
I’ve had the chance to work on so many alternative initiatives right here with some actually fantastic individuals, and I’m excited to see the studio come collectively to develop in an open and conscious method that helps the workforce and their wants inside and out of doors the office. Collectively we will push for higher contracts that assist a wholesome work-life steadiness, profession coaching and development, honest pay and wages, and higher job safety for our workers.
