According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, production workers at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network have begun talks to formally unionize. 66 workers from Warner Bros. Animation and 22 from Cartoon Network filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a vote to join The Animation Guild. The effort includes production managers, assistants, coordinators, and technicians from the two studios. These signatories have worked on shows such as Harley Quinn, Teen Titans Go!, Batman: The Caped Crusader, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, We Baby Bears, and Craig of the Creek.
This announcement comes amidst a wave of union strike action in Hollywood. Currently, both the Writer’s Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA are on strike as negotiations with studios stall. The Animation Guild has been working to bring as many animation studios into its union as possible. They have already established bargaining units on shows such as Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites, The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad! and at studios like Titmouse New York and L.A. and ShadowMachine. There is currently an ongoing push to unionize Walt Disney Animation Studios as well.
“Although many might not think it, production is a specialized skill; we might not be artists or writers, but what we bring to the table goes beyond traditional creativity and gets content on the air,” Warner Bros. Animation production manager Hannah Ferenc said in a statement about the organization effort. “Having lived through the existing state of the animation industry for the past seven years, I want to make sure that not only our current workers, but all those who choose to join us in the future, can feel secure in following their passion by earning livable wages and being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
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