Walt Disney Animation Studios Staffers Ratify First Union Contract – Update​on March 7, 2025 at 1:30 am

UPDATED, 5:30 PM: Some 17 months after unionizing, production management staffers at Walt Disney Animation Studios have ratified their first labor contract. The vote conducted by IATSE‘s Animation Guild was 93% in favor of sealing the deal, with 96% of eligible voters casting ballots.

The contract provides for production workers to receive protections including pension and health benefits, along with a 24% wage increase for production managers, a 29% hike for production supervisors and a 35% jump for production coordinators, who are the lowest-paid workers in the unit.

Read about Disney Animation Studios’ effort to unionize with IATSE Local 839 below.

PREVIOUSLY, November 1, 2023: Production workers at Walt Disney Animation Studios have gone union.

Eligible staffers at the toon studio voted overwhelmingly to be represented by IATSE and the Animation Guild for collective bargaining. The latter, IATSE Local 839, said the vote was 93% “yes” on an eye-catching 96% turnout. Only five members voted no.

“Congratulations to the production workers at Disney Feature Animation!” the Animation Guild tweeted. Today, they voted in an election to be represented by @IATSE and TAG. With 96% voter turnout, 93% voted yes!!! Let’s celebrate!”

The union will rep about five dozen production coordinators, production managers and production supervisors. The staffers revealed their intent to unionize back in March.

Overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, the Disney Animation Studios election began in mid-October via secret mail-in ballot, and the results were revealed today. Other workers including managers, confidential employees, guards, and supervisors are not part of the deal.

The vote follows recent successful unionize efforts by VFX workers at Disney corporate sibling Marvel Studios and production workers at Nickelodeon.