Animation Guild Members Ratify New AMPTP Agreement | News

Members of the Animation Guild (TAG) have voted to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

More than 76 percent of those who voted were in favor of ratification, said TAG, a division of the IATSE film workers union that represents about 6,000 animation artists, writers, technicians and production workers, most based in Los Angeles.

The union reached a tentative agreement with AMPTP in late November, but some members have expressed concerns about the agreement’s measures covering the use of AI in animation.

In a statement on the ratification, TAG’s board of directors described the agreement as “the strongest contract the union has negotiated in the past decade.” The statement added, however, that “generative AI is a complex and deeply concerning issue for our industry, and we recognize the passion and apprehension it has generated among our members. We are absolutely committed to protecting our industry. It’s also important to understand that union contracts alone cannot solve this problem, as recent contracts from other entertainment unions with far greater membership and clout than ours demonstrate.

Among the gains TAG said it achieved in the new agreement, covering the period 2024-2027, were salary increases of 7% in the first year, 4% in the second and 3.5% in the third; increases in health and retirement funds; and “craft-specific gains,” including minimum staffing for writers.

The agreement’s AI protections, the Guild said, include “written notices and the ability to review production and identify alternative non-GenAI tools.”

TAG sales representative Steve Kaplan said the deal “is the next step toward our goal of creating the strongest contract for our members.” There is much progress here, but there is also much work to be done to address priority issues that have not been fully resolved. Members have made it clear to us that there is a need for a greater focus on generative artificial intelligence, and we will address the issue through a multi-faceted approach, including pushing for effective legislation, advocating for tax incentives for man-made work and complaining about potential abuses.

A statement from AMPTP said its member companies “congratulate The Animation Guild, including its officers, negotiating committee and members on the ratification of this new three-year agreement. The many talented and creative employees represented by The Animation Guild will immediately benefit from historic gains in wages, protections and other important improvements to their profession.