Employees At Vancouver’s Icon Artistic Studio Announce Plans To Unionize
Employees at Icon Artistic Studio, one of many largest animation employers in Vancouver, have gone public with their intent to unionize with the Canadian Animation Guild (CAG), IATSE Native 938. A complete website devoted to the organizing effort has been launched at IconUnited.ca.
Icon produces the animation for exhibits like Disney’s Monsters at Work and Paramount+’s Transformers: Earthspark, in addition to the upcoming Star Wars: Younger Jedi Adventures and Ariel, each for Disney Junior. The studio at the moment has almost 800 staff, and any employee who doesn’t straight take part in hiring/firing is eligible for illustration.
IATSE reviews that lots of of employees have already signed confidential playing cards in assist of forming a union. A minimum of 55% of eligible employees must signal a union assist card earlier than IATSE can file an utility for certification with the BC Labour Relations Board. Following the certification, employees can start to barter the phrases of a contract with Icon.
Based on the Icon organizing web site, right here among the key points that has propelled the organizing effort at Icon:
- Safety from sudden layoffs. A lot of Icon’s employees have moved from international locations outdoors of Canada, and the corporate’s last-minute contract renewals complicate the lives of those that are on work permits.
- Immigration help. The corporate’s many overseas employees depend on work permits which are particular to Icon, and a union can present sources, similar to free immigration advisory providers to employees on work permits and/or making use of for everlasting residency.
- Readability on extra time. Employees need Icon’s extra time procedures clearly outlined, together with the truth that extra time is paid at 1.5x and that extra time is paid out by default.
- Protections from generative AI and outsourcing. Employees need to have better enter on how these developments will influence their careers.
- Assured annual wage will increase. Price of dwelling will increase yearly and employees need wage will increase to maintain consistent with inflation.
CAG Native 938 secretary Eddy Pedreira mentioned in an announcement:
Once I first started organizing for our union, I used to be a junior animator in Vancouver on a piece allow. I used to be caught between sophisticated immigration varieties, quick contracts, and excessive rents. I spotted that, in all of this, no person actually had my again. Organizing this union has made all of the distinction. My union empowered me and allowed me to concentrate on what actually issues: constructing a life for myself within the nation that I selected. To the employees of Icon making this resolution as we speak – the selection is yours, and yours alone. We’ve acquired your again.
Unionization has been on the rise within the Vancouver animation business in current months with employees from Wildbrain and Kickstart Leisure having not too long ago organized with CAG 938, whereas DNEG Vancouver employees began a union with the newly-formed IATSE Native 402.