Hollywood’s long, hot union summer is getting superheroic.
Visual effects crews at Marvel Studios filed Monday for a unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board, according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
The labor organization said that Marvel’s more than 50-worker crew had signed authorization cards indicating they wished to be represented by the union. These are VFX pros employed directly by Marvel and generally work in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York. It doesn’t include the thousands of VFX artists that work on Marvel movies through third-party VFX studios. Marvel Studios didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hollywood Reporter.
The VFX industry has been mostly non-union since Star Wars ushered in the modern era of visual effects in the late 1970s and IATSE, at least, believes a major shift in the labor landscape is overdue. The VFX industry explored the potential of a union a decade ago following the bankruptcy of Rhythm & Hues in the wake of finishing the Oscar-winning work on Life of Pi, but it never materialized. More recently, a new effort to organize started, and today’s announcement marks the first group to come forward as part of this plan. It’s unclear at this stage which IATSE Local these artists would work under, or if a new local would be formed.
“For almost half a century, workers in the visual effects industry have been denied the same protections and benefits their coworkers and crewmates have relied upon since the beginning of the Hollywood film industry,” said Mark Patch, VFX organizer for IATSE. “This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for the work we do.”
While the labor movement in Hollywood has shown its muscle by basically shutting business down in the entertainment industry, showcasing the power of union organization, there are likely other factors at work as well.
This effort to collectivize comes after a tumultuous several months in the field. In March, Marvel fired Victoria Alonso, who oversaw VFX at Marvel, though the departure was said to be over issues unrelated to those duties. Marvel was also hit with bad headlines featuring anonymous VFX pros complaining about untenable conditions, including long hours and seven-day weeks.
Isabella Huffman, a visual affects coordinator at Marvel who counts Hawkeye as one of her credits, said in a statement that working conditions were harsh in that part of the industry.
“Turnaround times don’t apply to us, protected hours don’t apply to us, and pay equity doesn’t apply to us,” she stated in IATSE’s announcement. “Visual Effects must become a sustainable and safe department for everyone who’s suffered far too long and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be exploited.”
The unionization effort occurs not only amid the backdrop of Hollywood’s labor stoppage, but also a broader rise of unionization attempts across the United States within companies such as Amazon and Starbucks. It also comes as unions enjoy their highest approval rating since the 1960s, according to Gallup, the polling company.
Said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb: “We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together. That doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights, that’s what our movement is all about. I congratulate these workers on taking this important step and using their collective voice.”
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