Sep 7, 2023

Wildbrain's Vancouver Studio Workers Move to Unionize with IATSE

Workers at Wildbrain Studios, one of Vancouver's largest animation studios, are organizing a unionization campaign with the Canadian Animation Guild (CAG) and the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 938.

Wildbrain has been involved in the production of Netflix's Carmen Sandiego, Sonic Prime, Johnny Test, and Chip and Potato; Apple TV+'s The Snoopy Show and Snoopy in Space; BBC's Fireman Sam, and many other major series and specials.

IATSE 938 represents animation workers in British Columbia; in 2020, workers at Titmouse's Vancouver studio joined the organization, forming the first union of its kind at a British Columbia animation studio. the CAG last week Friday that workers at Wild Brain are considering unionizing for the first time, and announced that a digital town hall meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 6.

Wild Brain workers are forming a union.

One of Vancouver's largest studios is on its way to joining the CAG, and hundreds of workers have already signed union support cards. What happens next -

All questions are welcome to the Wild Brain Digital Town Hall on Wednesday at 7pm. pic.twitter.com/on5nTi5csp

- Canadian Animation Guild, IATSE Local 938 (@CAG938) September 1, 2023

Wildbrain is a Vancouver studio with over 800 artists at its Vancouver studios. According to union organizers, hundreds of workers have already signed IATSE support cards. Fifty-five percent of workers must sign the cards for the union to be recognized by the British Columbia Labour Board.

To keep Wild Brain workers informed, the movement's leaders have launched a website with extensive FAQs and the option to communicate confidentially with organizers. There, the group's goals are also explained:

Wild Brain workers are coming together to improve working conditions by forming a union with IATSE Local 938 (Canadian Animation Guild). We are forming a union to demand better wages, annual wage increases, more secure and predictable jobs, and improved benefits.

Too often, artists and creators are told that precarious work with low pay and poor conditions is just the price to pay for doing what they love. From now on, it's different. We are campaigning to make Wildbrain a place where workers can love their work, take pride in what they create, and enjoy fulfilling, sustainable, long-term careers.

On Wednesday, prior to the town hall, IATSE spokesman Will Gladman told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that Wildbrain workers are looking for ways to address the instability he says is "embedded in the industry." He explained:

People work on really short-term contracts, sometimes for weeks at a time. They come to work on Fridays. They don't know if they will have work on Monday. I think the workers are tired of holding the bag every time things slow down.

One of his key concerns is the health and well-being of animation workers, who he says are directly affected by working conditions. He asserted that "in the unionized film and television industry, where they generally earn high incomes and can afford to take time off work when they need it," and that workers should also receive "medical benefits and severance pay to help them through the period of absence.

In a statement, Wildbrain Chief Content Officer Stephanie Betts said:

Wildbrain's core values put employees at the center. We are committed to an artist-centered culture, which we believe is a respectful, inclusive, and fair environment for everyone, and Wildbrain is actively committed to instilling these values in everything we do, including ensuring we are competitive within our industry. All Wildbrain employees have a voice and we look forward to maintaining direct and open lines of communication with employees at all levels.

In addition to its Vancouver location, Wildbrain has offices and studios in London, New York, Shanghai, Benelux, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Greece, Turkey, India and the Middle East.