The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has announced that visual effects workers at Marvel Studios had initiated efforts to unionise. A news statement from the IATSE purportedly said that “a supermajority of Marvel’s more than 50 worker crew had signed authorization cards indicating they wished to be represented” by the union. This action is the first time that VFX experts have come together in this fashion. The IATSE’s VFX coordinator, Mark Patch, emphasised the importance of this choice in a statement. The same protections and benefits that visual effects professionals’ coworkers and crewmates have relied on since the inception of the Hollywood film business have been withheld from them for over 50 years, according to Patch. “This is a historic first step for VFX workers to unite and demand respect for the work we do,” one worker said. Patch made a similar statement regarding Marvel’s VFX artist working circumstances in January after completing a job that he was not permitted to discuss at the time.
Historically, despite the IATSE’s representation of nearly 168,000 technicians, craftsmen, and craftspeople in cinema and television, visual effects categories have remained non-union. VFX professionals have not previously been within the IATSE’s purview, but professions like production designers, camera operators, sound editors, and others did.
A VFX coordinator named Bella Huffman gave some insight to the discussion. Turnaround times, protected hours, and pay fairness were not applicable to her group, she declared. “Visual effects must develop into a viable and secure division for everyone who has endured far too much suffering and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be taken advantage of.” The choice to unionise was made at a time when union activity has significantly increased, including a record double strike by authors and performers. Regarding the timing of the vote, Matthew D. Loeb, the international president of IATSE, remarked that “we’re experiencing a wave of solidarity that’s breaking traditional barriers in the industry, reflecting a united front.” “This isn’t just occurring now. Our movement represents entertainment workers sticking up for one another. I applaud these employees for taking this brave action and using their combined voice.
The decision to unionise has gained notice as Marvel’s VFX artists came under fire for the outcomes of previous projects. These initiatives included Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and others. Numerous artists concurrently complained about the bad working circumstances for Marvel projects, which included long hours, ongoing understaffing, and challenges producing high-quality work because of constantly-changing deadlines. Additionally, it was revealed in March that Victoria Alonso, a former executive at Marvel Studios, was in charge of creating a toxic workplace for the studio’s VFX artists. Similar statements about Marvel as one of their worst clients have been made by other VFX firms and artists.
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