98.7% membership ‘Yes’ vote supports guild fight to win scale wages and residuals for animated programs made for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon.
With a reported 98.7% “Yes” vote, SAG-AFTRA members voted yesterday to authorize a TV animation strike, showing their overwhelming support by providing guild leadership a powerful new weapon in their fight to win scale wages and residuals for animated programs made for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon.
In an open letter published on the guild website, SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris stated, “It is important to note this referendum result does not mean members are on strike. Rather, it gives the National Board the authority to declare a strike if absolutely necessary. We will keep negotiating with producers for a contract that guarantees members scale wages and residuals for animated programs made for streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. This vote sends a message that we are united and puts our negotiators in the best position possible.”
Carteris also urged members to stay engaged and show their support on social media with #ToonsUnited.
In calling for the authorization vote, Carteris declared, “Animation performers need the power of a strike authorization to avoid losing the hard-fought gains that generations of performers before them have struggled to win. That is why the National Board has unanimously recommended that you vote YES to authorize a strike, if necessary, of these agreements.”
Source: SAG-AFTRA
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
