Visual effects workers at Marvel, Disney, and Lightstorm Entertainment have ratified their first union contract, according to Variety.
VFX Worker Union Contract
Being the first of their kind, the contracts “include standard union protections like overtime pay, eligibility for the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan, meal penalties, rest periods and turnaround times.”
Matching the raises given to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees last year, the Disney/Marvel contract also includes raises for the applicable employees totaling 4% in the first year and an additional 3.5% in the second year.
Matthew Loeb, international president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), said the following about the contracts:
“I want to congratulate the member of these VFX bargaining units on negotiating fair contracts that earned such strong support. From when they started this process until today, the leadership and determination shown by these members has been an inspiration.”
Variety
Third-party VFX companies are not covered under the contract, only those directly employed by Disney, Marvel, and Lightstorm Entertainment. Lightstorm is the entertainment company responsible for working on the “Avatar” film series.
Variety also mentions that specific language on the use of artificial intelligence has been included in the “Avatar” contract, although the Disney/Marvel deal did not include this same language.
Mack Robinson, a visual effects coordinator for Disney, was quoted saying he hopes the contracts are “the first step to a broader change for the VFX industry.”
Fellow VFX worker Justin Meade of Lightstorm added, “Our power is in our labor, and our voices are heard through our solidarity, and now the Avatar crew will all have the chance at an equitable life working in one of our country’s best industries.”
Marvel Studios visual effects workers originally voted unanimously in favor of unionizing with the IATSE in 2023.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 168,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry. These professions include live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.
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