On June 27, TAG member activists coordinated another show of support for WGA writers in front of Disney.  “The picket line meet-ups started with a simple idea I had after joining the strike lines early on,” says TAG member Janis Robertson. “I got some info at a Town Hall, bounced my idea off Joey Clift,…

  On June 14, 2023, TAG Member Programs Coordinator Jackie Huang led a Q&A with TAG Business Representative Steve Kaplan about freelancing at Union studios. Topics included the definition of a freelancer, how freelance hours affect health benefits, how to keep track of freelance hours, and more. What is a freelancer in the animation industry,…

On May 10, Union Plus Brand Representative Brea Ellis discussed the many Union Plus benefits available to Union members. She was joined by John Hemmesch of Wells Fargo, who spoke about the bank’s Union Plus home mortgage program. Established in the 1980s, Union Plus provides benefits for union members off the job. This includes extending…

As production crews join our TAG family, they also join us in growing our advocacy for TAG members in the workplace. We’re excited to introduce two new TAG production members who have taken on the role of Shop Steward at their respective studios. Our Shop Stewards are our on-the-ground “eyes and ears,” as well as…

  TAG Field Rep Leslie Simmons shares her view of this year’s May Day March: Animation Guild members joined with other IATSE Locals in the annual May Day March in downtown Los Angeles on May 1. Thousands of participants from unions, community groups, workers’ rights organizations, and more came together under the theme of the…

With the announcement of a Writers Guild of America strike, The Animation Guild stands in solidarity with WGA members. We recognize their invaluable contributions to the entertainment industry, and as fellow Union members, we support their demands in their collective fight to win a fair contract from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)….

“Organizing provides people with the opportunity to become aware of their own capabilities and potential.” – Fred Ross, Sr. What does the word “organizing” mean and why is it important? On April 26, 2023, TAG Organizer Allison Smartt explained the history of our parent Union and discussed how organizing animation industry workers benefits current TAG members and strengthens the future…

At noon on April 3, The Animation Guild leadership and TAG’s Walt Disney Animation Studios artists joined Walt Disney Animation Studios production workers in a Solidarity Walk at Disney Studios. A supermajority of the production workers has expressed their interest in being represented by the Union, and the walk was in response to studio leadership’s…

Every year The Animation Guild sends Delegates to the IATSE District 2 Convention. This year’s convention will take place in Hawaii from June 9 – 11. For a glimpse of TAG at last year’s convention, check out this terrific comic created by TAG member Kris Mukai.    If you are interested in being a delegate,…

Field Representative Leslie Simmons shares some advice about questions members should ask when they’re getting hired at a studio signed to a TAG agreement.   First and foremost, there is certain information the studio is obligated to share with you upon hiring. In the most recent TAG Master Agreement, the Union and studios came to an agreement to…

Field Rep and Political Coordinator Leslie Simmons breaks down new laws that took effect in 2023. With the dawn of 2023, several new worker-friendly laws in California went into effect. Although some may not directly affect TAG members, they are laws that labor unions endorsed and lobbied to pass, and it’s important to share in…

On Sunday, February 26th at noon, the animation community in LA will come together at the Animation Guild in Burbank for our annual Afternoon of Remembrance. A non-denominational service where we remember, laugh, cry, and share stories, as we say one more goodbye to all our friends who left us in 2022. We will be celebrating…