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On September 13, 2023, Marvel VFX workers made history as they unanimously voted in favor of unionizing with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The Marvel team only represents a small portion of a much larger industry and does not include all other VFX studios that contribute to MCU films. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), two other industry unions, are now on strike in an effort to negotiate better terms with the big studios.
Thus, the move represents a significant shift in Hollywood. According to Bilali Mack, a VFX supervisor who has worked on everything from The Whale to The Flash, VFX employees have been talking about unionizing for more than ten years. The move is a major shift, as per Mack, as he exclaimed that although the group is small, the step towards unionization is huge.
The historic move marks the first time a unit of solely Marvel VFX workers has unionized with IATSE
Voting began on August 7 for the Marvel Studios employees and continued through August 21 and September 11. On September 12, all votes were cast in support of unionizing with the IATSE, while none were cast against it.
Following a stipulated election agreement between Disney/Marvel and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees last month, voting ended on Monday. There was a high turnout among the around 50 employees, including those working as data wranglers and VFX coordinators, according to the IATSE's latest release.
Mark Patch, VFX organizer for IATSE, said the following in a statement:
"Today, VFX workers at Marvel Studios spoke with a unanimous, collective voice, demanding fair pay for the hours they work, healthcare, a safe and sustainable working environment, and respect for the work they do."
The outcome was anticipated because a resounding majority of these employees had previously authorized cards indicating that they wanted to be represented by the union. The union's next move is to start bargaining collectively with the studio in order to create a union contract. The time for these talks has not yet been set.
Around 18 Walt Disney Pictures employees who work in VFX are also voting on unionization; the ballot started on Friday and will end on October 2. This includes employees who are directly hired by the studio in both situations. It excludes the thousands of artists who contribute to Marvel and Disney films via third-party VFX studios. IATSE intends to establish a new, large-scale national VFX Local through these elections, which it hopes to do before the year is up.
The Writers Guild of America announced a strike in May, followed by the SAG-AFTRA and the actors’ union going on strike in July.
