In a historic move, visual effects workers at Marvel Studios voted unanimously in favor of unionizing with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the company announced Wednesday.
This is the first time that a unit made up exclusively of VFX workers has unionized with IATSE.
Marvel Studios workers initially filed for election on August 7, and votes were cast and collected between August 21 and September 11. During the September 12 count, all votes were in favor of unionizing with IATSE and none were against.
“Today, VFX workers at Marvel Studios spoke with a unanimous collective voice, demanding fair pay for the hours they work, healthcare, a safe and sustainable work environment, and respect for the work they do,” Mark Patch, organizer VFX for IATSE. he said in a statement. “There could not be a stronger statement highlighting the overwhelming need for us to continue our work and provide union protections and standards to all VFX workers across the industry. And there could be no stronger example of the courage and solidarity of these workers than each and every one of them declaring ‘Union YES!’”
The vote comes at a time when Marvel films, such as the lukewarm “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” this year, and other special effects-heavy blockbusters, such as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”have been under fire for the heavy workload and tight deadlines imposed on VFX teams.
A historic step for the special effects industry
Until now, Marvel Studios is the only in-house VFX team unionized with IATSE, but VFX staff at Walt Disney Pictures recently decided to unionize at the end of August.
“This is historic and I’m glad to be a part of it,” Thomas Barnard, Marvel’s visual effects coordinator, said in a statement. “Not only will this radically change the game by increasing the quality of storytelling through our work, but it is also a huge step forward in taking care of the anonymous people who helped build the industry.”
The next step for the union is to enter into collective bargaining with Marvel Studios executives to draft a contract that addresses workers’ needs.. At the moment, negotiation dates have not yet been set.
The unionization vote comes amid ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as the guilds continue to seek fair contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
