Remote animation workers are joining the collective call for union recognition, following a big year in general for labor solidarity in Hollywood. 

Yesterday, 10 workers at Walt Disney Animation Studios—structured in a unit known as the Traveling Lab—filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. The employees reside in six different US states, working remotely for the studio behind films like last week’s theatrical release Wish (pictured).

They are seeking representation from the Animation Guild (TAG) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in order to secure better pay and benefits. 

Remote work, which proved to be a viable option for animation studios during and after the pandemic, has not yet been adequately covered by existing collective bargaining agreements, according to TAG. “Once Return to Work protocols were initiated, employers told many animation workers who chose to work remotely that their working arrangements would fall outside contractual boundaries, jeopardizing workers’ union status,” the Guild has noted in a release.

Currently, workers hired in LA (to work remotely outside the county and state) are able to secure union coverage. But WDAS and many other animation studios don’t extend this right to workers hired outside of LA county, which could lead to fewer benefits and lower pay.

In addition to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, 2023 was marked by an unprecedented push for unionization from studios including Nickelodeon, WB Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Powerhouse Animation. And this summer, workers in VFX and video game production also made landmark efforts to organize and lobby for more security and fairer compensation. 

Image courtesy of Disney.