Jul 20, 2023

Production Employees of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Vote to Join the Animation Guild

As workers fight to redeem themselves and be treated with respect in the Hollywood hierarchy, production workers at Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and Cartoon Network (CN) are the latest to unionize with the Animation Guild (TAG). The group became.

The group of about 90 workers filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting a union election and asked Warner Bros. Discovery management for voluntary recognition.

The bargaining unit includes 66 WBA employees and 22 CN employees, including production managers, production assistants, IT technicians, and design and production coordinators. This group includes workers who have contributed to recent and upcoming productions such as Batman: The Capped Crusader, Harley Quinn, Adventure Time, Fiona and the Cake: Fiona and the Cake, Craig of the Creek ', etc.

Among the reasons for the group's request was WBD's recent decision to merge the development and production of Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation. Workers at both studios want to present a unified view so that their work and standards are protected throughout the process.

Other reasons workers have given for unionizing include seeking competitive wages, benefits, and overtime pay. Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites, The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad! as well as workers at studios like Nickelodeon and Bento Box, were influenced by the recent wave of production workers from other studios who decided to join TAG alongside their artist colleagues. Production workers at Walt Disney Animation Studios are also trying to join TAG.

In a statement, WBA production manager Hannah Ferenc said:

Many may not think it, but production is a specialized skill. We may not be artists or writers, but what we bring goes beyond traditional creativity and broadcasting content. Having witnessed the current state of the animation industry over the past seven years, I want to ensure that not only our current workers, but all future workers who choose to join us, can work at their passions, secure in the knowledge that they will earn a livable wage and be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.