Animation Guild Contract Extended as Talks Continue on AI Rules

Gene Maddaus

30 October 2024 at 12:42 pm·2-min read

Negotiators have agreed to extend the Animation Guild contract through Dec. 2, as the two sides continue to bargain over guardrails on artificial intelligence.

The contract was set to expire on Friday. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers met with the guild’s negotiating committee on Monday and Tuesday. While there was some progress, the two sides were not close enough to seal a deal by the Friday deadline.

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The Animation Guild represents about 5,000 artists, writers and technicians. Negotiations began on Aug. 12, and have continued intermittently since then.

Another week of talks is expected to be scheduled in advance of the Dec. 2 expiration.

As with others across entertainment, animators are seeing high levels of unemployment amid an industrywide contraction.

The union is otherwise known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. IATSE negotiated its Basic Agreement in June, which includes some overall protections against AI.

The Animation Guild has sought to improve on those terms, as AI poses a unique threat to animators’ livelihoods.

The Basic Agreement states that workers may ask for a “consultation” on AI use, and that any AI work cannot be outsourced to non-union labor. A committee will also be set up to establish AI training. The contract also requires that if a worker loses a job due to AI, they are entitled to severance and retraining.

Some members of IATSE felt those terms were not strong enough, though the contract was ratified with 86% support.

The Animation Guild is also pushing for better pay and job security, though AI has been a key sticking point. The union held a demonstration on Thursday outside Netflix’ offices in Burbank to show solidarity as talks continue.

The animators’ contract was originally due to expire on July 31, but was extended to Nov. 1 as the AMPTP worked out deals with IATSE and the Teamsters union.

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