The Animation Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839
Encyclopedia
The Animation Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 839 is a professional guild
and union
of animation
artists, writers and technicians. It was formed in 1952. In 2002, the organization changed its name from Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists.
The full name of the organization is The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress
.
__FORCETOC__
The Business Representative is the only paid, full-time elected official of the Guild, which also has a paid staff. All other Board members work at studios under the Guild's jurisdiction.
All of the terms and conditions of Animation Guild CBAs are minimums; that is, any employee working under a CBA has the unrestricted right to negotiate better terms and conditions than those set forth in the CBA. Such better terms and conditions include but are not limited to:
The text of the Guild's current CBAs and sideletters can be found on their website.
is determined by its parent body, the IATSE, and as defined in its CBA.
process, with the following exceptions:
Although the Guild's traditional jurisdiction
was limited to those working on animated films, in recent years the Guild has expanded to the point where a significant percentage of its members are employed in motion picture computer graphics
. Today, both 2D and 3D artists work under the Guild's jurisdiction
, both in animation
and live action
.
. The IATSE and other IA locals have jurisdiction
over animation
in other areas of the United States
and Canada
.
studios were signed to collective bargaining agreements with the Animation Guild:
:
. Payroll companies perform the payroll
and other administrative functions (often including human resources
) for small companies and unincorporated animation projects, and serve as the employer of record for purposes of making Guild health insurance
, 401(k) plan and pension
payments, and processing grievance
s. Payroll companies signed to the CBA include:
artists, writers and technicians who are hired by employers signed to Guild CBAs will be required to join the Guild after thirty days' employment. The one-time initiation fee consists of two weeks' minimum scale wages for the job category in which the applicant has been hired.
Dues are charged quarterly and are also based upon the scale rate for the job category as of the beginning of the quarter. As of August 2008 the highest dues rate is $101.00.
artists, writers and technicians who are employed by companies that do not have TAG agreements, may become members if and when the company is organized. Potential members may assist the Guild in its organizing efforts by signing a confidential representation card.
After the employer is organized and signed to a collective bargaining agreement, employees often are brought into membership without initiation fees.
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
and union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
artists, writers and technicians. It was formed in 1952. In 2002, the organization changed its name from Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists.
The full name of the organization is The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
.
__FORCETOC__
Governance
The Animation Guild is governed by its membership, which meets every two months. To supervise the Guild's affairs, every three years the membership elects a sixteen-person Executive Board by secret mail ballot. As of December 2010, the members of the Executive Board are:- President: Bob Foster
- Vice President: Earl Kress
- Business Representative: Steve Hulett
The Business Representative is the only paid, full-time elected official of the Guild, which also has a paid staff. All other Board members work at studios under the Guild's jurisdiction.
Collective bargaining agreements
The Animation Guild negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements, or CBAs, with companies employing persons under its jurisdiction. These CBAs:- define terms and conditions of employmentEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
; - set minimum wages, hours and working conditions;
- provide for a grievanceGrievanceA grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
procedure, whereby the Guild intervenes on behalf of its members in disputes with their employers; - specify the payment of contributions to the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans (MPIPHP), to provide health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
and a defined-benefit pension. The MPIPHP is entirely employer-funded, by hourly contributions and by residuals and supplemental market payments.
All of the terms and conditions of Animation Guild CBAs are minimums; that is, any employee working under a CBA has the unrestricted right to negotiate better terms and conditions than those set forth in the CBA. Such better terms and conditions include but are not limited to:
- "overscale" wages;
- sick pay;
- additional vacationAnnual leaveAnnual leave is paid time off work granted by employers to employees to be used for whatever the employee wishes. Depending on the employer's policies, differing number of days may be offered, and the employee may be required to give a certain amount of advance notice, may have to coordinate with...
time; - provisions to allow employees to work at home or off-premises.
The text of the Guild's current CBAs and sideletters can be found on their website.
Animation Guild 401(k) Plan
Although not part of the CBA, the Guild sponsors a multi-employer, employee-funded 401(k) plan to which virtually all of its employers are signed. The 401(k) plan is administered by Mass Mutual.Jurisdiction
The Animation Guild's jurisdictionJurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
is determined by its parent body, the IATSE, and as defined in its CBA.
Work jurisdiction
The Guild covers all artistic, creative and technical job categories in the animationAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
process, with the following exceptions:
- Animation camerapersons are under the jurisdiction of IATSE Local 600.
- Track readers and soundpersons are under the jurisdiction of IATSE Local 695.
- Animation editors are under the jurisdiction of the Motion Picture Editors GuildMotion Picture Editors GuildThe Motion Picture Editors Guild is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States...
, IATSE Local 700. - Animation voice actors are covered by the Screen Actors GuildScreen Actors GuildThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
or the American Federation of Television and Radio ArtistsAmerican Federation of Television and Radio ArtistsThe American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
. - Generally speaking, animation directorAnimation directorAn animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film...
s of theatrical features are not covered, as they are considered management due to their ability to hire and fire employees, but animation directorAnimation directorAn animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film...
s in other media such as television are covered. - Although animation producersTelevision producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, production managers and non-creative support personnel are not covered under the Guild CBA, employers will sometimes sign a so-called "non-affiliate" agreement that allows them to cover them for purposes of health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
and pensionPensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
. - Although most animation writers are under the Animation Guild's jurisdiction, some are covered by the Writers Guild of America, westWriters Guild of America, westWriters Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
. - So-called "freelancers" are covered under the CBA if they are working as employees of a signator employer. Bona fide independent contractors are not covered, since they are not employees of the company for which they perform work.
Although the Guild's traditional jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
was limited to those working on animated films, in recent years the Guild has expanded to the point where a significant percentage of its members are employed in motion picture computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
. Today, both 2D and 3D artists work under the Guild's jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
, both in animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
and live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
.
Geographical jurisdiction
All of the Animation Guild's current collective bargaining agreements are with employers in southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The IATSE and other IA locals have jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
over animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
in other areas of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Animation studios signed with TAG
As of July 2011, the following animationAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studios were signed to collective bargaining agreements with the Animation Guild:
- APU, IncWild BrainWild Brain is an award-winning entertainment company that develops and produces television programming, motion pictures, commercial content and licensed merchandise...
- Bento Box EntertainmentBento Box EntertainmentBento Box Entertainment is an American animation studio located in Burbank, California. It was founded in 2009 by animators Scott Greenberg, Joel Kuwahara and Mark McJimsey...
- Big Box Productions
- Crest Animation StudiosCrest Animation StudiosCrest Animation Studios Ltd. is an Indian animation studio. It was founded by Shyam Raja Ramanna in 1990 under the name Crest Communications and it first went public in 1995...
- DisneyToon StudiosDisneyToon StudiosDisneyToon Studios is an American animation studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, responsible for producing direct-to-video and occasional theatrical films for Walt Disney Studios....
- DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
- Film RomanFilm RomanFilm Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
- Fox Television Animation20th Century Fox Animation20th Century Fox Animation is the animation division of film studio 20th Century Fox.-Fox Animation Studios:Before 20th Century Fox started its animation division in 1997, 20th Century Fox released its first six animated films, such as Wizards, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure , Fire and Ice...
- Hanna-Barbera Cartoons
- Hasbro StudiosHasbro StudiosHasbro Studios is an American "virtual" television production company located in Los Angeles, California. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hasbro...
- Nickelodeon Animation Studios
- Robin Red Breast
- Six Point TwoSix Point HarnessSix Point Harness Studios is an animation studio located in Los Angeles, California. 6PH has provided animation for MTV's series Where My Dogs At? and Good Vibes, animated sequences for feature films Black Dynamite, Eurotrip, and produced The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!. Greg Franklin serves...
- S-D Animation
- Sony Pictures AnimationSony Pictures AnimationSony Pictures Animation is an American computer-animated film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, founded in May 2002. It is working closely with Sony Pictures Imageworks, which takes care of the digital production...
- Tom T Animation
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Walt Disney Television AnimationWalt Disney Television AnimationDisney Television Animation is an American animation studio that is the TV animation production arm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, owned by The Walt Disney Company, dedicated to creating, developing and producing animated television series, films, specials and other projects.Established in...
- Warner Bros. AnimationWarner Bros. AnimationWarner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
Animation studios signed with the IATSE
Guild members are employed at the following studios under collective bargaining agreements with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage EmployesInternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or I.A.T.S.E., is a labor union representing technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion...
:
- ImageMovers DigitalImageMovers DigitalImageMovers Digital is a digital film studio run by director Robert Zemeckis and originally owned by The Walt Disney Company, later Universal Studios...
(defunct) - The Secret LabWalt Disney Feature AnimationWalt Disney Animation Studios is an American animation studio headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio, founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is the oldest subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
Payroll companies
The Guild also signs collective bargaining agreements with payroll companiesProfessional employer organization
A professional employer organization is a single source provider of integrated services which enable business owners to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and workers’ compensation and other strategic services, such as recruiting, risk/safety...
. Payroll companies perform the payroll
Payroll
In a company, payroll is the sum of all financial records of salaries for an employee, wages, bonuses and deductions. In accounting, payroll refers to the amount paid to employees for services they provided during a certain period of time. Payroll plays a major role in a company for several reasons...
and other administrative functions (often including human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
) for small companies and unincorporated animation projects, and serve as the employer of record for purposes of making Guild health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
, 401(k) plan and pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
payments, and processing grievance
Grievance
A grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
s. Payroll companies signed to the CBA include:
- Cast & Crew Production Plr Inc.
- EPSG Management Services (Entertainment Partners)
- Payday Inc.
- Quantum Payroll Services, Inc.
Membership requirements
Membership in the Animation Guild can be acquired in either of two ways:Membership by employment
AnimationAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
artists, writers and technicians who are hired by employers signed to Guild CBAs will be required to join the Guild after thirty days' employment. The one-time initiation fee consists of two weeks' minimum scale wages for the job category in which the applicant has been hired.
Dues are charged quarterly and are also based upon the scale rate for the job category as of the beginning of the quarter. As of August 2008 the highest dues rate is $101.00.
Membership by organizing
AnimationAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
artists, writers and technicians who are employed by companies that do not have TAG agreements, may become members if and when the company is organized. Potential members may assist the Guild in its organizing efforts by signing a confidential representation card.
After the employer is organized and signed to a collective bargaining agreement, employees often are brought into membership without initiation fees.
External links
- The Animation Guild official Web site
- The Animation Guild blog
- Drawing The Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson, by: TAG President Emeritus Tom Sito