If you are an Animation Writer (who is not a weekly employee) and you are being asked to pitch for an Intellectual Property owned by a studio, it’s time you get paid for your work. Employers are required to pay for all time worked excluding meetings considered to be de minimis (short meetings where no…

At the recent D2 Convention held on Saturday, October 24th, The Animation Guild delegates submitted four resolutions to the assembly and all four passed. Here we briefly summarize the resolutions. Resolution to Research Health Insurance Inclusion of Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening, Diagnosis,  Treatment, and Intervention In Our Health Insurance Plans IATSE members and their dependents…

Recently, a multi-union coalition composed of representatives from the IATSE, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters, and the Hollywood Basic Crafts negotiated a set of return to work policies and protocols in order to provide a unified set of rules to follow for returning the entertainment industry back to work. IATSE President Matthew Loeb entered the negotiations…

Teri Cusumano shares details of a new proposal the Family and Membership Committee will be presenting to the membership at the General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29th. For the last nine months, I have been on maternity leave. Although I had to step away from work temporarily in order to adequately care for my…

It is not uncommon for animation studios to hire employees under the “On Call” provisions of our agreement. But what exactly is “On Call”?  The Fair Labor Standards Act is the labor law that, among the many things it established, brought wage minimums and overtime into the US workplace. Since its enactment in 1938, amendments…

With all that’s in the news around this year’s election, you may not have heard much about two upcoming propositions on the ballot. To save jobs and demand good wages, the LA County Federation of Labor is recommending YES on Prop 15 and NO on Prop 22. Big corporations are spending hundreds of millions of dollars…

As of August 3, 2020, wage minimums will increase by 3 percent as per the 2018-2021 Local 839 Master Agreement. Here’s what you need to know: Does this apply to all studios? Some studios, such as Warner Animation Group, The Secret Lab and Sony Animation, have separate agreements with Local 839 and will see wages…

The Storyboard Committee is looking for volunteers to become Storyboard Craft Reps for their show/production.  The Craft Rep pilot program was previously limited to a handful of studios, but is now being expanded to all contracted studios and productions. The goal is to find a Craft Rep volunteer on each show within each studio.  Similar to…

The pandemic has shown that TAG members are not only talented, but they are nimble and can transition to working effectively from home. This ability to quickly adapt to a new situation has helped sustain the animation industry when much of live-action entertainment has halted. Of course, the new situation has changed the landscape of…

Union Plus Legal Program   Union members are on the front lines of the response to our nation’s public health crisis. MetLife’s Legal Attorney Network is offering union members free legal document review, consultations, and advice through July 31, 2020 for many issues, including:  Healthcare proxies or other estate planning  Home refinancing or personal insurance forms  Elder law…

Hello TAG Members, I hope this message finds you healthy and safe. I hope you are holding up well through this difficult time.  I wanted to reach out to you before the holiday weekend to refresh the conversation about holidays and the adjustment of your production schedule. At times, productions try to squeeze in 40…

When you receive a job offer from a studio that is a Union signatory, you can always negotiate for a better salary beyond the minimum union wage for that position. Consider a base offer as your starting point. An employer will not be surprised if you make a counter-offer. Below are some tips to help…