Workers at Vancouver's WildBrain animation studio look to unionize

Workers at one of Canada's largest animation studios are looking to unionize. 

Staff at WildBrain's Vancouver studio, the animation studio behind well-known animation properties such as Snoopy TV, Johnny Test and Sonic Prime, are looking to join a small but growing list of studios in the province that are part of the Canadian Animation Guild, Local 938 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Hundreds of workers at WildBrain, formerly known as DHX Media Ltd., have signed union support cards, IATSE Local 938 said in a social media post. 

If 55 per cent of workers sign a card, the B.C. Labour Board can certify the union.

IATSE spokesperson Will Gladman says workers are concerned about issues such as scheduling, base pay, and the rising cost of living in Vancouver. 

They are also seeking ways to address "the precarity (insecurity) that's really baked into the industry," Gladman told CBC's The Early Edition on Wednesday.

"People are working really short-term contracts, sometimes weeks at a time," he said. "You go to work on Friday. You're not sure if you'll have a job on Monday. I think workers are just tired of holding the bag when things slow down every time."

Citing salaries in the film and TV industry, Gladman says higher pay can help workers deal with the "boom and bust" nature of the industry. 

"People make good money in the unionized film and TV industry here generally, and it means that they can afford to take breaks from work when they have to."

He says ensuring workers maintain health-care benefits and retirement savings would also help during lulls in work. 

When work does return, he said, there should be ways for people who have been recently laid off to get jobs back. 

Another concern is the prospect of artificial intelligence affecting jobs. 

"That's something that's really going to maybe steal jobs from us. We don't know. We'd like to actually get some sort of clarification on that," said Jen Jackson, background layout lead at WildBrain Vancouver.

In a statement, WildBrain chief content officer Stephanie Betts says the company is aware of IATSE's efforts. 

She said the company is committed to a "respectful, inclusive and fair" workplace.

"We actively work to instill these values in everything we do, including ensuring that we are competitive within our industry," Betts said.

"Everyone at WildBrain has a voice, and we look forward to keeping open lines of communication directly with our employees at all levels."

The union already represents some workers in B.C., including Vancouver animation house Titmouse, which, in 2020,  became the first Canadian animation studio to unionize.

Although many animation workers in the U.S. are unionized, particularly in the Los Angeles hub, Titmouse workers were the first in B.C. to successfully organize.

Jackson hopes that unionization efforts at WildBrain will inspire workers in the animation field, as well as those in the visual effects and video game industry, to look at unionization. 

"We would love to bring them into this and see if we can make this better for everybody right across the board because we have a hub here that we want to see grow," Jackson said.