2023-09-10 01:56:33
“We are seeing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that is breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving that we are all in this together,” said Matthew Loeb, IATSE International President.
“Entertainment workers everywhere are standing up for the rights of their colleagues, that’s what this is about,” he added.
Competition between streaming titans Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Disney has increased demand for films and series, almost all of which now require special effects, Mark Patch of IATSE told AFP.
“Without special effects, you wouldn’t have lightsabers, you wouldn’t have Avengers flying around,” he points out.
“We love this job, but we need meal breaks and health coverage, and we need to be paid for overtime, etc.,” he explains.
It’s common, he says, for workers in the special effects industry to work days longer than 15 hours, even sleeping under their desks when they have to meet tight production deadlines.
A speech that echoes that of employees of video game publishers.
According to Chrissy Fellmeth, IATSE international representative, their salaries and benefits have stagnated while the industry is a multibillion-dollar industry and the speed of game releases has accelerated with high demand for updates.
And because titles are released too quickly, studio employees then have to scramble to correct software errors.
– “Greener pastures” –
According to this trade unionist, video game developers generally stay for seven years before turning to other technological sectors.
“They tend to move on to greener pastures,” says Chrissy Fellmeth. “Even though they love working in this field, it turns out it’s way too difficult.”
The Workinman Interactive game studio in New York State, whose clients include Nintendo and Disney, began a unionization campaign in August, according to IATSE.
They would thus join a handful of video game studio unions, including the Game Workers Alliance Union, launched in early 2022 by quality assurance workers at Raven Software, owned by Activision Blizzard.
“I’m very excited to see what the future holds for us now that we have the opportunity to have our voices heard and be respected as equals,” Cori Mori, junior developer at Workinman, said in a statement .
According to Ms. Fellmeth, this wave of unionization is notably linked to the limits imposed by more and more studios on teleworking, forcing employees to live near offices in cities where living is expensive.
The current strike crippling Hollywood has also played a role, highlighting the power of workers if they unite.
The writers launched their movement in May, followed by the actors in July. Their unions are demanding, among other things, better salaries and guarantees that artificial intelligence will not steal their jobs and income.
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