The Animation Guild tries to expand into the Lone Star State.
The IATSE Local is trying to organize about 137 employees at Powerhouse Animation Studios, the Castlevania And Masters of the Universe: Revelation producer based in Austin, announced Monday. This group of employees, consisting mainly of performers and some production workers, asked for voluntary recognition from management and filed for election to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday.
While The Animation Guild has united animation studios outside of LA County since 2022, the Powerhouse Animation Studios drive is TAG’s first in a so-called “right-to-work” state, according to the union. (Texas has a right to work law that prohibits union safety agreements that require workers in a bargaining unit to join a union and/or pay union dues.) The union effort is the guild’s third outside of LA County, with its two previous efforts that took place in New York and resulted in certified unions.
While most people may not be familiar with the state, Texas has a long history of labor movements. Powerhouse’s tough and talented employees add to that legacy and are breaking new ground today,” TAG Board Member Brandon Jarrett said in a statement.
The Hollywood Reporter has contacted Powerhouse Animation Studios for comment.
Workers involved in the effort — including directors, background designers, animators and production assistants — say they are seeking greater pay equality and job security with a union contract. “We want to empower leadership to negotiate more on an equal footing with our customers and secure contracts that are more fair and meet our needs as an animation studio that consistently creates high-quality art,” said Suzanne Sharp, character artist for Powerhouse Animation, in a statement.
Production manager Ryan Arrington added: “Together we can push for better contracts that support a healthy work-life balance, career training and growth, fair pay and wages and better job security for our workforce.”
The union began its march beyond Southern California with the successful unionization of Harriet the spy And Super Prison! studio Titmouse New York in early 2022. That effort was followed by an organizing campaign at Paramount+’s Stephen Colbert hosts Tooning Out the News a few months later, which also resulted in union in the state.
In addition to its headquarters in Austin, Powerhouse Animation also has a small studio in LA, which already has a union contract with TAG.
