The Walt Disney Studios VFX team has filed for an election to unionize

Just two weeks after we reported that Marvel VFX workers had filed for unionization papers, we heard that Walt Disney Pictures VFX workers followed suit. Disney VFX employees filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election to unionize.

Variety reports that the vast majority (over 80%) of Walt Disney Pictures’ 18-member internal VFX crew have signed permission papers signaling their desire to unionize. The historic relocation of these two studios marks the first time in history that visual effects professionals have come together to demand the same protections and rights as their peers. At Marvel, voting will take place on September 11, and vote counting will take place on September 12.

Mark Patch, organizer of IATSE VFX, said in a statement:

“Today, the courageous visual effects workers at Walt Disney Pictures overcame the fear and silence that kept our community from having a say for decades. With an overwhelming majority of these crews calling for an end to “the way visual effects has always been,” this is a clear sign that our campaign isn’t about just one studio or company. It’s about VFX workers across the industry using the tools at our disposal to elevate ourselves and create a better path for us to follow.

IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said:

“The determination of these visual effects workers is not only commendable, it is revolutionary. Their collective action against the status quo represents a sea change at this critical time for our industry. The chorus of voices calling for change is unprecedented and demonstrates that our united movement is not about one company, but is setting a precedent of dignity, respect and fairness for all.”

Unionized VFX workers are responsible for creating the VFX effects in the studio’s catalog, which includes Beauty and the Beast, AladdinAND The Lion King.

Visual effects workers have remained ununionized since the industry opened during the production of the first Star Wars films in the 1970s and 1980s. and more generally, the same rights and protections afforded to their unionized colleagues who are already represented by IATSE.

These calls echo increasingly widespread calls for improvements in the VFX industry and are corroborated by sentiment uncovered by IATSE’s 2022 VFX Workers Fees and Conditions Survey, released in March.

With Monday’s presentation, labor council elections could begin within two to three weeks. If a majority of these workers voted to unionize in that election, the studio would be required to enter good-faith negotiations for a contract that would cover these workers as a group.