Visual FX Digital Artists Guild

This is an e-mail response I added to a thread on a discussion group. I thought I’d cross post it here since it has some important information.

On 2/27/2010 , SOMEONE wrote:

As a VFX artist and supervisor, with my significant other being a <REDACTED> artist, supporting <REDACTED> dependents in <REDACTED>, I would love to know some answers. No one has actually told us how to start a Union,  who would pay for it, or even the likelihood of it succeeding.

While nobody knows the likelihood of something like this succeeding, there’s a well established path towards organizing labor. It’s heavily legislated and there are very clear guidelines. Existing organizations such as IATSE, TEG and TAG can help you get the ball rolling at your place of work but it takes a certain amount of cajones to stand up and call for union representation.

As for as who pays for it, it’s a combination of members who pay initiation fees and dues as well as contributions from each employer running a union shop. As an example, The Animation Guild initiation fee is based on two weeks the minimum scale wage (hopefully less than your actual rate of pay) for your position plus $101 per quarter dues. The initiation fee currently ranges from around $1,500 to around $2,500.

I am not sure at this time how the employer contributions are calculated.

On 2/27/2010, SOMEONE continued:

By the way… we really need a Union, not a Guild. There are too many of us for a Guild. On a movie there  is one director, he has a guild, a few editors, a few writers… all in guilds. The grips, the truck drivers,  all in Unions. We outnumber all those guys… we need  a Union. A guild would only serve the sups.

Guild is just a nicer way to say Union. They are synonymous. Both The Animation Guild and The Editors Guild are unions under IATSE. IATSE is the same union that oversees locals that rep the grips and truck drivers. I have collected several links, including instructions on how to organize, at the www.fxdag.org web site for future reference however I will also publish the links here for immediate gratification. I am happy to let the fxdag.org web site serve as a clearing house for information and ideas in conjunction e-mail on this list. Let me know if there’s something you want to see on there.

Between The Editors Guild and The Animation Guild, both of which are IATSE Unions, there’s a huge knowledge base regarding how to organize labor. They have professional organizers willing to help but it takes boots on the ground at each facility to get it done. Employees at each facility need to do this from the inside. An outside agency cannot and will not swoop in to organize your work place for you. Employees need to step up and lead the organization process. If you want to organize your work place, do some research. Read up on it and contact the folks at TAG and TEG. While they may encourage you to join their respective guilds, they’ll also help if you want to form your own local under IATSE.

You’ll need to form an organizing committee, pass out authorization cards at your work, get signatures and call for a vote. You can read more details in the supplied links here.

How To Unionize Your Production Work Place

I Want to Start a Union Where I Work

The Organizing Process

How do I get my Employer to Sign with The Animation Guild

Animation Guild Representation Card

IATSE – How to Organize in the US

IATSE – What is a Union Organizing Campaign?

National Labor Relations Board

Animation Guild contact information:

Phone Number: (818) 845‑7500

info@animationguild.org

Editors Guild Contact Information:

Contacts: Tris Carpenter National Organizer

323.876.4770, Ext 244

tcarpenter@editorsguild.com

Rob Callahan Organizer – Los Angeles 323.876.4770, Ext. 245

rcallahan@editorsguild.com

Toll Free Los Angeles 800.705.8700

IATSE Contact Info:

IATSE General Office

1430 Broadway 20th Floor

New York, NY 10018

Telephone: 212-730-1770

Office of the International President Fax: 212-730-7809

Office of the General Secretary-Treasurer Fax: 212-921-7699

ITASE Organzing Department e-mail: organizing@iatse-intl.org