Walt Disney Animation Studios Production Workers Get Their Wish Granted As NLRB Approves Union Vote

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a Direction of Election to allow Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) production workers to vote on unionizing with The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839.

Production workers at the studio first requested voluntary recognition from Disney in March, but studio leadership refused. Now, more than seven months later, the NLRB has authorized a vote.

The process took so long because Disney tried to impede the workers’ efforts towards organizing by omitting production managers and supervisors from the bargaining group. Dividing worker bases by position is a popular tactic large companies use to make unionizing more difficult.

The NLRB’s latest ruling puts a definitive end to that strategy. It unequivocally establishes that production supervisors and production managers at WDAS are not classified as “supervisors under the National Labor Relations Act, managerial employees, nor confidential employees.” That means that production supervisors and managers do share a community of interest with production coordinators and can belong to the same bargaining unit.

Following the NLRB ruling, WDAS production coordinator Liz Davalos said:

This historic win during Disney’s 100th-year celebration means that production folks can turn their wish into a reality. A career with sustainable wages, benefits, and growth that honestly reflects the strategic craft of production management.

Fellow production coordinator Maggie Hughes added:

This win exemplifies the core of why we’re unionizing. We knew throughout this process that everyone in our unit deserves to be eligible, but the company still decided to pursue this long and arduous process to divide us. We have stayed patient and adamant in our stance, so it feels extremely validating to win this colossal victory not only for ourselves but also for the animation industry as a whole.

And production supervisor Nora Rogers said:

We are one step closer to having a say in our own future. We have asked to be seen and treated as equal to our creative counterparts for what feels like an eternity, and the NLRB’s decision provides us the opportunity to stop asking and start demanding. There is still a long road ahead of us, but this win has shown us that our courage, passion, and drive can take us anywhere, including to the negotiation table.

Now that the call for a vote has been issued, IATSE says it hopes that WDAS will voluntarily recognize the entire unit and negotiate a new contract in good faith. If not, the vote will be held from October 10-31, with votes counted on November 1.