The Animation Guild negotiates with union employers to establish contracts called “collective bargaining agreements,” abbreviated as CBA. A CBA stipulates minimum wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits for members of our Guild working for employers who have agreed to the contract. The Guild negotiates its CBA, also known as the Master Agreement, every three years with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). When the three-year term of a CBA ends, representatives from the Guild (the Negotiations Committee) led by Business Representative meet with the employers to renegotiate the terms of the CBA. Having a CBA with a limited term is beneficial because it gives us time to figure out what parts of the CBA are working and what parts need to be revised. When parts of the CBA need revisions, the Negotiations Committee can write proposals to change them. The proposed changes are designed to benefit our members by addressing issues that have been identified in the workplace. The Guild bargains for these changes with the employers during negotiations, and the “wants” of the Guild membership are pitted against what employers are willing to provide. The negotiations process requires both parties to be willing to compromise and bargain in “good faith” toward a resolution. Negotiating as an individual can be difficult, but negotiating a base agreement collectively means that our ability to achieve our demands is stronger.

The Guild negotiates several different CBAs: The Master Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which the majority of Guild-signed employers agree to. A full list of the employers signed to this agreement can be found on page 64 of the 2021-2024 Master CBA under the title “Exhibit A.” Additional independent CBAs, which are negotiated separately, include: TSL (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Sony Pictures Animation (SPA), Nickelodeon, WAG Pictures, and several independent production companies. These CBAs can be found here. Each CBA outlines specific terms for the signatory studios. Studios that sign independent agreements might have different terms from studios that sign the Master CBA. In addition, independent agreements have different end dates from the Master CBA.

The Negotiations Committee is made up of membership committee members and engaged members, who are Active and in Good Standing. This team has committed to research, prepare, and write the proposals that will be brought to negotiations with the employers. They help supply the data and arguments used to support different proposals during negotiations. Members of the Negotiations Committee are volunteers. They submitted an interest form, and were chosen to represent various crafts and groups within the membership. One of the goals of the Negotiations Committee is to represent the breadth and diversity of our membership. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and bring the concerns and varied voices of the membership to the bargaining table. Constitutionally, our Business Representative Steve Kaplan chairs the Negotiations Committee and provides his insights on strategy; committee members offer feedback on whether or not to accept a contract and present it to the Guild membership for a ratification vote. Unlike other Guild committees who work on ongoing issues, the Negotiations Committee is only established to prepare for and engage in active negotiations . After the CBA is ratified by the membership, the committee is dissolved.