The Animation Guild‘s unionization efforts at DreamWorks continue, as the studio’s bargaining unit ratified a new contract for production workers who unionized last year and have announced their intent to add remote workers outside of Los Angeles to its ranks.
The contract for production workers is the first ever established at DreamWorks and was ratified with 96% of members in favor. Among the benefits in the contract, negotiated over the course of nine months, include established minimum wage rates with annual increases, reduced healthcare costs with no annual premiums, guaranteed retirement contributions and additional sixth and seventh day pay for salaried and on-call employees.
In addition, a group of 75 DreamWorks Animation workers who are employed outside of Los Angeles have announced their intent to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board. These workers hold positions that are union positions under The Animation Guild and have worked on film and television projects alongside DWA workers based at the studio’s Glendale headquarters.
“While it is a tremendous privilege to be able to work remotely in the industry I love and alongside people I love, it is unfair to be treated as a second-class employee,” said Anthony Holden, an Oregon-based Story Artist who has worked at DreamWorks for seven years. “Those of us who work remotely do not enjoy the same health care, retirement planning, or other benefits afforded to our co-workers in L.A. County who are covered under collective bargaining agreements.”
Remote work has become a common option for animators who want to remain in the industry but cannot afford the rising cost of living in Los Angeles. But with current Animation Guild contracts only extending jurisdiction over workers in Los Angeles, the union has sought to organize remote and production workers to expand its protections to all employees at unionized studios.
