Animation Guild's AI Provisions Spark Controversy in New Contract Negotiations

Animation Guild Executive Board Defends Deal Terms As Some Members Criticize Contract

International Cinematographers Guild Names Two New Regional Directors The Animation Guild's executive board is praising its tentative agreement with Hollywood studios after a handful of negotiation committee members posted on social media that they will vote not to ratify it. The board noted in a message to members on Wednesday that it had voted to recommend the ratification of the provisional deal, which was reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Nov. 22. "We believe this agreement is the strongest contract the Union has negotiated in the last decade with significant craft improvements, substantial wage increases, and critical new protections," the board wrote in its statement. "The Executive Board supports the agreement because Guild members as a whole stand to greatly benefit from its terms, across all crafts." Citing an unspecified "misleading media story" about a "small minority" that does not support the deal, the executive board noted that the negotiations committee's "table team" that met directly with the AMPTP, an "overwhelming majority" -- more than 90 percent -- voted for the deal and to recommend ratification. The Animation Guild's 56-member negotiations committee consists of 29 members on this "table team" as well as 27 members who served on a "support team" that helped craft and make adjustments to proposals but did not vote on the tentative agreement. The statement arrives after a few members of this larger negotiations committee -- one on the table team and two on the support team -- expressed on social media that they were voting "no" on the deal. Mitchell vs. The Machines writer-director Mike Rianda, writer Joey Clift (PAW Patrol, Spirit Rangers) and My Little Pony: Make Your Mark writer Kelly Lynne D'Angelo posted on Tuesday that they had personally decided not to support ratifying the agreement, with all citing concerns around the tentative contract's provisions on generative AI. On Dec. 3, negotiations committee support team member Spencer Rothbell additionally posted on X and Blusky that "the contract is weak on protections against use of AI and subcontracting among other things." He noted that there are gains on items like wages and benefits but added "the structures for AI usage don't inspire a ton of confidence (e.g. they seem very exploitable). same goes for vague/flexible language on benefits, return to work, and new media. def some loopholes." "Generative AI is a complex and deeply concerning issue for our industry, and we recognize the passion and apprehension it has sparked among our members," the executive board wrote in its statement. "We are absolutely committed to protecting our industry. It's also important to understand that union contracts alone cannot solve this challenge, as seen in the recent contracts of other entertainment unions with far larger memberships and leverage than our own." The executive board argued that the path forward will include provisions on generative AI in its contracts as well as contract enforcement, unionizing of new workplaces, legislation, tax incentives and "public support for human-made work." The group concluded, "This contract balances progress with leverage, addressing challenges and delivering meaningful gains that we have been working on for years during numerous contract cycles. We trust our members will see this as a significant step forward and vote yes to ratify the agreement." The union's ratification process began on Tuesday and concludes on Dec. 22. In an interview on Tuesday with The Hollywood Reporter, The Animation Guild's business representative Steve Kaplan stated that it could be potentially "dangerous" not to ratify with the contract, which would send negotiators back to the table for a potentially quick additional bargaining process that could risk losing some gains in the pre-existing pact and/or a strike, which might "exacerbate an already-established practice of moving work to incentivized areas that would be out of the reach of the agreement."

Three Animation Guild Negotiating Committee Members Say They're Voting "No" on Controversial Tentative Deal

International Cinematographers Guild Names Two New Regional Directors Tensions over The Animation Guild's controversial new tentative contract spilled into public view on Tuesday as the ratification vote for the deal began. Three members of the union's negotiating committee posted on social media that they personally will be voting "no" on the tentative contract that they helped to bargain, primarily due to concerns about provisions covering generative AI. "I believe the AI and outsourcing protections in this contract are not strong enough -- and in my opinion -- could lead to the loss of lots of jobs," Mitchell vs. The Machines writer-director Mike Rianda posted on Instagram on Tuesday. Adding that there were gains in the contract, like pay increases and health benefits improvements, Rianda argued that the pact's A.I. protections give "sole power to the employer to make us use A.I. however they see fit." The contract also does not contain outsourcing protections, Rianda said, because "we tried to get staffing minimums but the AMPTP blocked us." Fellow negotiating committee member and writer Joey Clift (PAW Patrol, Spirit Rangers) likewise explained that he was voting "no" in a series of posts on Bluesky and on X because the contract doesn't resolve member concerns over AI. "We fought tooth and nail and received a few small AI protections in this contract, but these aren't the strong, common sense AI guardrails we need to keep animation workers protected," Clift wrote. The My Little Pony: Make Your Mark writer Kelly Lynne D'Angelo, who also served on the negotiating committee, said she is voting "no" on Bluesky and on X: "I'll go into further details soon, but it boils down to the fact to me, we still need to fight for more A.I. protections." She added, "Voting 'No' could give us the leverage we need to actually get substantial gains. Does it mean we may lose other things negotiated? Yes. But do those things trump more needs in AI, outsourcing, and staffing minimums? That's YOUR call to make. This vote needs to be overwhelmingly 'No' to do that." The union's ratification voting period ends on Dec. 22. If members support the deal in a ratification vote, the contract will soon take effect. If they reject the deal, the Animation Guild and the AMPTP will go back to the bargaining table and attempt again to reach a compromise, with a strike potentially on the table. The union's negotiations, led by the AMPTP's Tracy Cahill and The Animation Guild's business representative Steve Kaplan, concluded with a tentative deal on Nov. 22 after months of talks.