Earlier this week came the news that over 50 visual effects workers at Marvel had filed for a unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board.
The supermajority of said crew signed authorization cards to indicate they wish to be represented by IATSE. Now IGN has done a feature piece speaking with five organizers and VFX workers in the wake of the announcement to discuss the move and how it’s necessary to save the job that they do love.
Mark Patch, a VFX organizer for IATSE, says they are simply: “Asking just to be put on the same deal as the people working alongside of us and be given access to health care and a pension fund and the basic protections of work – we feel that this is one of the most reasonable demands that anyone’s ever made.”
By joining IATSE, these VFX workers aim to be protected under their basic agreement. It seems part of the issue has been the MCU’s increase in content in ‘Phase 4’. Between the Disney+ series and theatrical features, Marvel reportedly pumped out 60 hours of content for Phase 4 – longer than the runtimes of Phases 1-3 combined but in a fraction of the time.
VFX workers are paid on a weekly flat rate – so whether work days are 12 or 18 hours, they get paid the same – no overtime, no extra pay. That combines with executives who reportedly don’t understand the strain of what they’re asking for, and a shortage of VFX artists around the globe who can take on this work.
Gabrielle Levesque, who has worked with Marvel before and after the launch of the Disney+ service, tells the outlet: “It definitely feels more like a conveyor belt nowadays than necessarily each project being given its own thought and time… It really becomes like the McDonald’s of content.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recently spoke of focusing on quality over quantity and has slightly slowed the rollout of Marvel content. Still, the studio has a massive line-up of movies and shows to come in the years ahead.
The article indicates this group hopes to lay the groundwork for the countless VFX artists who work alongside them and the ones who come after them. Head over IGN for further details and quotes.
