“Hope they get the pay they deserve”: Fans Hear Disney Panicking as 80% of In-House VFX Artists Plan to Unionize, End Mouse House’s Relentless Reign of Terror
The rise in popularity of streaming services has evolved the entertainment industry in ways that have changed things massively for audiences. Disney has come into highlight for a historic reason. The Mouse House is famous for its many animated films like Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pirates of the Caribbean, among others.
The visual effects crews at Walt Disney Studios have taken a significant step in bringing the company into the spotlight. Walt Disney Studios’ esteemed division, Walt Disney Pictures, has led the entertainment business for a century. It was founded as Walt Disney Productions, initially until changing its name in 1983. The studio’s unionizing VFX workers are responsible for creating amazing VFX work across the studio’s impressive catalog. These workers have made a historical move and ended the terror of Disney.
VFX Workers at Walt Disney Pictures file for a historic election for unionization
Marvel Studios 52 visual effects workers announced they had filed a unionization vote with the National Labour Relations Board, creating history. Just weeks later, workers at Disney have also moved to form their union after a growing sea change in the demands of the historically non-union VFX industry.
Variety reported that the visual effects crews at Walt Disney Studios have made a critical step towards unionization by filing a request for an election to unionize to the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB)
Over 80% of the 18 Disney employees, or a supermajority, have signed authorizations submitted to the NLRB, signaling a desire to hold a unionization ballot and initiate some of the first unionization efforts in the VFX sector as a whole.
IATSE VFX organizer Mark Patch said,
“Today, courageous Visual Effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures overcame the fear and silence that have kept our community from having a voice on the job for decades.”
He further expressed how overwhelming this move is and how the VFX workers across the industry are using the tools at their disposal to uplift themselves.
Hollywood studios, already rocked by the AMPTP’s refusal to negotiate in good faith with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA during their historically unprecedented dual strike action this summer, are now forced to decide the long-standing absence of worker protections in the VFX sector.
Also Read: Disney Reportedly Wants Oppenheimer Star Florence Pugh as Rapunzel in ‘Tangled’ Live Action Movie
Fans support VFX workers of Disney for their bold move
Since the industry was invented during the creation of the first Star Wars films in the 1970s and 1980s, VFX workers have continued to operate without union representation. The workers unionizing are calling for the same rights and protections enjoyed by their unionized coworkers who are already represented by the IATSE, as well as just compensation for all hours worked, adequate health care, retirement benefits, and more generally.
With this bold move, fans show their support for the Mouse House workers who are responsible for creating the VFX across the studio’s catalog.
Fans took to X to show their support to the workers for ending the reign of Disney. A fan wrote, “I hope they get the pay they deserve.” It was followed by a series of posts:
I hope they get the pay they deserve.
— Ryguy the flyguy (@Ryan86896586) August 28, 2023
Good for those VFX workers. Hopefully they succeed.
— Victory Reviews (@Vyreviews94) August 28, 2023
Unionizing is the right thing to do.
— Abdulaziz AlSuwaidi (@azizthehobbit) August 28, 2023
GOOD FOR THEM. It sucks for the now, but they deserve better. There’s ALOT of money to go around
— The Pops (@talkswithpops) August 28, 2023
Good! Disney is nothing without their VFX Artists
— Race Wood (@TheRealRaceWood) August 28, 2023
A labor board election could start as soon as two to three weeks from now with the filing on Monday. If a majority of these employees choose to unionize in that election, the studio would be compelled to start sincere talks for a contract that would include all of these employees.
Source: Variety
