Marvel Studios VFX Workers Have Voted To Unionize On The Heels Of Damning Disclosures

Following multiple reports of VFX crews being pushed to meet unreasonable deadlines by Marvel Studios, visual-effects artists at the studio have finally petitioned to demand union recognition.

According to a report by Vulture, a group of more than 50 on-set employees filed a petition for an election to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) with the National Labor Relations Board. The workers are asking for the election to be held as early as August 21.

This marks the first time visual-effects workers have joined forces to demand the same rights, wage protections, and professional watchdog oversight enjoyed by professionals in almost every other part of the entertainment industry.

"For almost half a century, workers in the visual-effects industry have been denied the same protections and benefits their coworkers and crewmates have relied upon since the beginning of the Hollywood film industry,” VFX organizer for IATSE Mark Patch said in a statement. “This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for what we do.”

"Turnaround times don’t apply to us, protected hours don’t apply to us, and pay equity doesn’t apply to us,” added VFX coordinator Bella Huffman, who counts Hawkeye among her credits “Visual effects must become a sustainable and safe department for everyone who’s suffered far too long and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be exploited.”

For the most part, the VFX industry has remained non-union since the late 1970s, and IATSE considers this a major shift in the labor landscape.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together,” said IATSE International president Matthew D. Loeb. “That doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights; that’s what our movement is all about. I congratulate these workers on taking this important step and using their collective voice. I urge Marvel Studios to voluntarily recognize their union immediately.”