Animation Guild Descends On DreamWorks To Put Pressure On AMPTP Ahead Of More Contract Talks: “We Are Not Going To Back Down”

deadline.com:

The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) is putting the major studios’ feet to the fire, as negotiations on a new contract drag on.

Two weeks after agreeing to extend the current contract to accommodate more talks again, the Animation Guild descended on DreamWorks’ offices in Glendale, California, on Tuesday to hand executives a petition signed by more than more than 58,000 working TAG members and public supporters with the goal of emphasizing the value of the profession.

In a statement, the guild said that “while animation workers kept content alive during the COVID lockdown, and animation is outperforming on screens big and small, animation workers are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, losing their healthcare, homes, and livelihoods.” This marks the second such action that TAG has coordinated, after a similar march on Netflix last month, ahead of the last round of bargaining.

Talks are expected to resume again the week of November 18 with the contract extension expiring on December 2. TAG has now agreed to extend the contract three times.