WildBrain Animation Workers Ratify Union Agreement With Canada’s IATSE Local 938

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A majority of the more than 300 animation workers at WildBrain have voted decisively to ratify their first collective agreement with IATSE Local 938, The Canadian Animation Guild. The vote follows over a year of negotiations and marks a significant step for organized labour in the Canadian animation sector.

The agreement includes several changes to workplace policies and benefits. Among the highlights are an 80% increase in available sick and flex days, a paid pregnancy leave top-up, and protections around the use of AI that align with similar agreements across North America.

“This agreement is a testament to nearly 6 years of grassroots organizing,” said Eddy Pedreira, President of IATSE Local 938. “Not only have we secured material improvements for WildBrain workers, but we’ve also laid a strong foundation upon which we will build over the years. It has been an honour to work so closely with a group of workers who care so much about each other and their workplace, and their commitment has really shone through in this agreement.”

According to the union, workers at WildBrain will retain their existing workplace perks, but the agreement also aims to create a more formal and enforceable framework for job protections and benefits. WildBrain now joins workers at Titmouse Vancouver as being represented by IATSE.

Senior Modeller Harley Munsie expressed a sense of accomplishment following the ratification: “This has been such a long time coming. Workers at WildBrain worked hard to create this collective agreement, and we are so proud of everything we managed to achieve together. It’s days like these I feel real proud to be in this ever-growing industry.”

IATSE Local 938, based in British Columbia and established in 2020, represents professionals in animation, VFX, and video games. In addition to the WildBrain contract, the union is currently negotiating its first agreement with Icon Animation Studio and continuing discussions at Titmouse Vancouver. It is also supporting workers at the VFX company DNEG.

“The success of this vote is a testament to what workers can achieve when they work together,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “All animation, VFX, and video game workers across Canada deserve strong union representation, and the IATSE has a long history of doing just that. We encourage all workers to contact us so the gains made at WildBrain can be made across Canada.”

IATSE will likely see the WildBrain vote as a needed win, after workers at Vancouver’s Kickstart voted to leave the Guild back in February. With this week’s news, the Guild regains some momentum after that alarming loss.