Ratification is the step where the Union members vote on whether to accept the contract agreement. The current agreement is tentative and requires a majority vote of the members to implement. Once ratified, the tentative agreement will be accepted, and the new terms will be in place for the 3-year duration of the agreement (from Aug. 1, 2021 through and including July 31, 2024).

According to our Constitution and By-Laws, all TAG members who are Active and in Good Standing are eligible to vote for ratification. In order to become an active member in good standing of The Animation Guild:

1. You must completely pay the application fee and all dues, initiation fees, and assessments so that no monies are owed to The Animation Guild.
2. You must complete and return the paper membership application form to The Animation Guild. The form will be processed by the Guild office and sent to our parent union, the IATSE office in New York. (Please note this can take 30 days.)
3. The IATSE office in New York must approve the application and send it back to the Guild office.
4. Once all dues and fees are paid, and all membership application processing is completed by both offices, individuals become members in good standing.
5. In order to have your ballot counted, you must have paid any outstanding balances to the Guild by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22. Reach out to membership@tag839.org for any questions about payment procedure.

The American Arbitration Association (AAA), which is the judge of the election, will email Active members in Good Standing contract information and voting instructions using the email address on file with The Animation Guild on June 20th. A Memorandum of Agreement detailing the contract changes will be posted on The Animation Guild website for all members to read. Voting will be done by internet or over the phone between June 20th and July 1st. The window for voting will be open for two weeks, and votes will be tallied to determine the result.

If you are currently on Withdrawal, you will need to reinstate and pay any accompanying fees and dues that are required. Once you are reinstated, you will become an Active member. Please email membership@tag839.org and request to be added to the voting list.

The Negotiating Committee voted overwhelmingly to recommend ratification. They feel this is a good deal overall that addresses key concerns raised by members. Please review statements submitted by the Negotiations Committee here.

If the contract is not ratified, there are no guaranteed outcomes. The Negotiations Committee will have to determine the will of the membership and attempt to return to the bargaining table. There is no way to predict how long this new process would take or if any further progress could be made. Should the agreement not be ratified, the membership should be aware and prepared that a strike will be needed to get better results than we did during bargaining.

In recent history, we found no entertainment union contract that failed to ratify. The 2006 and the 2021 IATSE Basic Agreements and the 2009 SAG Theatrical & TV Agreement were debated, but both agreements ratified.

Not voting means your voice will not be heard on the ratification decision. You are essentially sitting this decision out and letting others make your choice for you. Only cast votes—Yes or No—will be counted. Also, a low voting turnout signals to the employers that our membership isn’t invested in the bargaining process and the contract. It diminishes our power as a unified organization and can impact our ability to bargain a successful contract in the future. Part of your responsibility as a member of the Local is to vote. Please encourage your colleagues to vote too!

Please read the material on The Animation Guild website: animationguild.org/ratify2022.

If this does not answer your question, call the Union office at 818-845-7500 or email membership@tag839.org. You can also email the Business Representative Steve Kaplan at steve.kaplan@tag839.org.