A gaggle of U.S. visual effects employees engaged directly by “Star Wars” franchise productions has joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees for collective bargaining purposes.
The brand new bargaining unit includes U.S. employees who contribute to titles including, but not limited to “The
Mandalorian & Grogu,” “Ahsoka” and “Starfighter.” The unit, which overwhelmingly supported joining the union, will now begin good-faith negotiations with the employer for its first contract.
IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said, “These employees help bring among the most ambitious stories in entertainment to life, they usually deserve a meaningful voice in shaping their working conditions.” Loeb added, “We’re proud to welcome these visual effects professionals into our proud union.”
Visual effects employees have long been essential to modern film and tv production, helping create the worlds, characters, and experiences that audiences see on screen. Because the industry continues to evolve, employees across visual effects are increasingly in search of the protections, advantages, and collective bargaining rights that include union representation.
Last 12 months, visual effects employees on “Avatar,” as well those that work at Marvel and Disney, ratified their first labor contract, in a major step for the VFX industry. The contracts included standard union protections like additional time pay, eligibility for the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan, meal penalties, rest periods and turnaround times. The Disney/Marvel contract also included raises of 4% in the primary 12 months and three.5% within the second 12 months, matching the raises negotiated by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
VFX employees at Apple Studios also voted 12-0 to arrange with IATSE, and employees at DNEG, a serious Canadian VFX firm, also unionized in 2023 and 2024.