VFX Workers for Marvel and Disney Ratify First Union Contract

Two years ago, VFX artists across Marvel, the Avatar franchise, and Disney all seperately voted to form their own unions. With the help of the IATSE, the three worker groups have now “overwhelmingly” voted to ratify contracts which ensure better conditions for staff working on these respective projects. Both contracts—Marvel and Disney fall under one agreement, and Avatar team Lightstorm has its own—offer minimum wage increases and access to IATSE’s pension plans and meal penalties. In terms of differences, Lightstorm’s contract guarantees preferential hiring rights on future Avatar films for current bargaining employees (and without a pay loss), new wage scale rates based on a 40-hour work week for those future films, and minimum call rates for the sixth and seventh days of work. This contract also has “protections against technological change and subcontracting” and AI-related language adopted from IATSE’s Basic Agreement. Marvel and Disney’s specific contract ensures extra pay for ... Read full article.