Posted in: Movies, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: #NoStoneUnturned, amptp, animation guild, film, films, movies, Tag, television, tv, unions

The Animation Guild, AMPTP Resuming Talks Mid-September; Key Issues

After not reaching terms on a new deal this week, The Animation Guild (TAG) and AMPTP are set to resume negotiations in mid-September.

After a week of negotiations that began on Monday, The Animation Guild (TAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) did not reach a deal on a new three-year agreement – though both sides have reportedly scheduled additional negotiation dates in September. The negotiations are considered to be even more pivotal to the members of the union than ever – coming at a time when the animation industry continues to pay the price for studios and streamers making some really bad decisions in the midst of "The Great Streaming Wars" – all in the name of wanting to be (and beat) Netflix. What makes this situation even worse is that the same animation industry that's currently fighting for its very survival is the same animation industry that stepped up to help out the studios and streamers when the industry ground to a halt from a global pandemic.

Then there is the all-too-real danger posed by Generative Artificial Intelligence (or Gen AI), which not only eliminates the human creative aspect of the art but could also prove devastating to the number of current creative jobs. On their website, TAG notes that an impact study conducted in conjunction with CAA and CVL Economics showed that without proper checks & balances and guardrails in place, 29% of animation industry jobs could potentially be disrupted over the course of the next three years. In terms of job loss/unemployment rates within the animation industry, show cancellations/write-offs have, "Through anecdotal research and internal surveys" done by TAG, resulted in an estimated "one-third of TAG's animation workforce" having been laid off over the past year. In addition to show cancellations/write-offs, union members are also facing the threat of outsourcing. What ends up happening is that LA County animation studios send out work to studios in Asia and Europe, and then those studios reach out to animation industry members in the U.S. to offer job opportunities – at a lower rate and without the benefits and protections that union members receive.

Understanding the importance of these negotiations and what AMPTP may attempt during the negotiations, TAG received a huge showing of union solidarity heading into this past week's negotiations. The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40 (IBEW), International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399 (IBT), Laborers International Union of North America Local 724 (LiUNA!), Operating Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 755, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), United Association Plumbers Local 78 (UA), Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) issued a collective statement standing in solidarity with TAG – urging AMPTP "to negotiate in good faith, show you value and respect your animation workers, and make meaningful moves to address their specific priorities."

"We stand with the members of TAG as they seek contractual provisions that set fair wages and working conditions, prevent overwork, and safeguard workers from the impact of artificial intelligence. TAG negotiates independently of IATSE's West Coast Studio Locals to address the unique priorities of animation workers, and they do so with our full collective backing.

We also call on the AMPTP to negotiate in good faith, show you value and respect your animation workers, and make meaningful moves to address their specific priorities."

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