(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA) - Visual Effects (VFX) Crews employed at Walt Disney Pictures have filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election to Unionize, with the backing of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

This marks only the second time in history VFX Professionals have joined together to demand the same rights and protections as their Unionized Colleagues throughout the Film Industry, with the other being Marvel VFX Workers’ similar filing just this month.

Walt Disney Pictures, a prestigious arm of Walt Disney Studios, has been at the forefront of the Entertainment Industry for a century.

Established originally as Walt Disney Productions, it was renamed in 1983.

The Unionizing VFX Workers are responsible for creating the VFX across the studio’s impressive catalogue, including modern classics such as the live-action adaptations of the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and the Pirates of the Caribbean, among others.

The historic move follows a super-majority (over 80%) of the 18 in-house VFX Crew Members at Walt Disney Pictures who signed Authorization Cards signaling their desire to Unionize.

A NLRB Election could commence as soon as two to three weeks.

If a majority of the Workers vote in favor of Unionizing in that election, the studio would be required to begin good-faith negotiations for a contract covering these Workers as a group.

In the words of IATSE VFX Organizer Mark Patch: “(The) courageous Visual Effects Workers at Walt Disney Pictures overcame the fear and silence that have kept our community from having a ‘voice on the job for decades.’  With an overwhelming super-majority of these Crews demanding an end to ‘the way VFX has always been,’ this is a clear sign that our campaign is not about one studio or corporation.  It’s about VFX Workers across the industry using the tools at our disposal to uplift ourselves and forge a better path forward.”

The Unionizing Workers are demanding fair compensation for all hours worked, adequate health care, retirement benefits, and more generally, the same rights and protections afforded to their Unionized Co-Workers who are already represented by IATSE.

These demands echo the increasingly prevalent calls for improvements across the VFX Industry and are corroborated with the sentiment uncovered by IATSE’s 2022 VFX Worker Rate and Conditions Survey, which was published in March.

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