The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached agreement on a new three‐year collective bargaining agreement late Wednesday night after three days of bargaining.
The new pact will run from Aug. 1, 2015 to July 31, 2018, and follows the contours of the 2015 IATSE Hollywood Basic Agreement. The deal includes:
* 3 percent increases to contract wage minimums (compounded).
* Unchanged Health Benefits (including no increases to premiums for dependents)
* 10 increases in pension benefits for individuals retiring after August 1, 2015.
* An updated New Media Side Letter that conforms to New Media deals negotiated by SAG‐AFTRA, DGA, WGA, and the IATSE in earlier negotiations.
* Higher health and pension contributions for freelance storyboard artists and timing directors.
All of the Animation Guild’s current collective bargaining agreements are with employers in Southern California. Among them are Big Box Animation, Disney Toon Studios, Film Roman, DreamWorks Animation,Fox Television Animation, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Hasbro Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Warner Bros. Animation,
Contract talks started on Monday and continued until late Wednesday night. The deal will go out to the guild’s membership for ratification once a Memorandum of Agreement is drafted,
The negotiation committee included Animation Guild President Jack Thomas, Business Representative Steve Hulett, organizer Steve Kaplan as well as IATSE Vice-President Michael F. Miller.
“Contract talks are always somewhat contentious, but this year the attitudes on both sides were business-like and cordial,” said Hulett.
“IATSE Vice President Miller was very helpful in aiding the Animation Guild reach a contract. There were a lot of proposals on the table, but we were still able to reach agreement in three days. I commend AMPTP President Carol Lombardini and her committee on their focus on the essentials and their willingness to work through differences,” he said.
