Union Fever in Hollywood Hits Another First As Marvel VFX Artists Vote for Unionization Election
It's about time.
Marvel Studios’ visual effects (VFX) artists have filed a request to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), a labor union representing over 168,000 technicians, artisans, and craftspersons in the entertainment industry.
VFX crews at Marvel Studios filed for a National Labor Relations Board unionization election on Monday, August 7. According to an IATSE press release, “The move signals a major shift in an industry that has largely remained non-union since VFX was pioneered during the production of the first Star Wars films in the 1970s. A supermajority of Marvel’s more than 50-worker crew had signed authorization cards indicating they wished to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). This marks the first time VFX professionals have joined together to demand the same rights and protections as their unionized colleagues in the film industry.”
Over the last few years, Marvel’s VFX artists have criticized the studio for demanding impossible-to-meet deadlines and overworking and underpaying their teams. In 2022, Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy VFX artist Dhruv Govil called out Marvel Studios, saying, “Working on #Marvel shows is what pushed me to leave the VFX industry. They’re a horrible client, and I’ve seen way too many colleagues break down after being overworked, while Marvel tightens the purse strings. The issue is #Marvel is too big, and can demand whatever they want. It’s a toxic relationship.”
While positions like production designers/art directors, camera operators, sound, editors, hair and makeup artists, costumes/wardrobe, script supervisors, grips, lighting, props, and paint have historically been represented by IATSE, workers in VFX classifications historically have not.
“For almost half a century, workers in the visual effects industry have been denied the same protections and benefits their coworkers and crewmates have relied upon since the beginning of the Hollywood film industry,” Mark Patch, VFX Organizer for IATSE, said in the press release. “This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for the work we do.”
Bella Huffman, VFX Coordinator, highlighted the challenging nature of the industry, echoing the working condition complaints of Marvel VFX artists like Govil: “Turnaround times don’t apply to us, protected hours don’t apply to us, and pay equity doesn’t apply to us. Visual Effects must become a sustainable and safe department for everyone who’s suffered far too long and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be exploited.”
The Marvel VFX workers’ filing for a union election comes at a pivotal moment in the film and television industry, as actors and writers band together for the first time since 1960 to fight for fair contracts with the studios and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb put it in plain terms, “We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together. That doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights, that’s what our movement is all about. I congratulate these workers on taking this important step and using their collective voice.”
(Featured Image: MARZ VFX/Marvel Entertainment)
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