With what Hollywood’s animation union calls “significant gaps” remaining between labor and management proposals, major studios are set to continue negotiations with guild leadership over a new three-year deal this week.
The Animation Guild stated in a Friday update that while the two sides were making progress on reaching an agreement, the differences between the parties would require more days at the negotiating table. The union is currently preparing a response to the latest management proposal, a representative told The Hollywood Reporter. In the meantime, the union’s contract — which originally expired on July 31 — has been extended until Nov. 1 to give labor and management more time to come to a deal.
“The Negotiations Committee worked consistently and tirelessly to push the animation studios to recognize and address the priorities our members stated are in need of change,” the union’s business representative Steve Kaplan said in a statement. “While measured, and definitely slower than we wanted, progress has been made. I look forward to continuing to work with the committee and push the studios to make the moves necessary to reach an agreement for the next three years.”
THR has reached out to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents management in union negotiations, for comment. The AMPTP will be juggling both ongoing negotiations with casting directors, which are scheduled to continue on Monday and Tuesday, and animation workers this week.
As the first Animation Guild deal to tackle generative AI, the upcoming union contract will be a significant one for animation workers: The union, indeed, has framed this year’s negotiations as an existential battle over the future of animation. In a study commissioned by the union and released at the beginning of the year, an economics consulting firm surveyed media leaders and found that 29 percent of animation jobs were potentially at risk of being disrupted by AI in the next three years. The Animation Guild’s AI task force found in a subsequent report that entry-level jobs were perhaps most poised to be disrupted or displaced.
According to the union, in the second week of talks the sides discussed AI proposals as well as those related to subcontracting, craft-specific concerns, the contract’s streaming sideletter and wages and benefits.
The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers began negotiations on Aug. 12 and paused talks on Aug. 16 before returning to the discussions last week. The union is hosting a general membership meeting on Tuesday to brief members on the state of the negotiations.
“As we continue these negotiations, it’s crucial that we keep our focus on what matters most: protecting the livelihoods of our members and ensuring the animation industry thrives,” guild president Jeanette Moreno King said in a statement. “By addressing these priorities — such as job security, fair wages, and the responsible use of AI — we are not only standing up for our present needs but also safeguarding the future of animation for generations to come.”
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{URL}https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/animation-guild-negotiations-continues-key-differences-remain-1236007274/{/URL}
{Author}Katie Kilkenny{/Author}
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{Keywords}Business,Business News,labor,The Animation Guild{/Keywords}
{Source}POV{/Source}
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