It seems unreal to me that 2018 will soon be drawing to
a close. What an incredibly full year this has been. We've
seen participation increases from across the Guild, we've
negotiated a solid new Master Contract with the AMPTP
for the next three years, and this issue you hold in your
hands completes Keyframe's first year of showcasing the
fantastic depth and breadth of our membership's talent.
We've also continued our record growth here at The
Animation Guild. We currently have over 4400 active
working members! The IATSE continues to buck the long-
running national trend of declining union membership
(though the curve is flattening), and we are a part of that. Your peers in the Guild are what
gives you power in your workplace. It's not for nothing that the IA's theme this past year has
been "Growth Equals Strength."
You know, we're some of the lucky ones. Currently in the U.S., only 6.5 percent of private
sector employees are part of a union. And it makes a real difference—according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall, nonunion workers had weekly median earnings that were
only 80 percent of their union peers.*
Excitingly, data on union workers shows that the next generation understands the benefits of
coming together in a union. It shows that "more than three-quarters of net union members
added in 2017 are under the age of 35." It's a recent development, but "younger workers are
increasingly likely to be union members."*
Why might that be? Millenials may be driving the growth. This dynamic, enthusiastic generation
cares about "work/life balance, upwards mobility, safe working conditions, and living wages, all of
which unions provide," according to researcher Hugo Romero.**
Additionally, the Economic Policy Institute states that unions "strengthen democracy by
giving workers a voice in policy debates, raise wages for both union and nonunion workers,
help raise wages for women and lessen racial wage gaps, build retirement security, reduce
inequality, and create a path to sharing knowledge and solving problems."***
Together, we will work to harness the incredible power of our organization. We will build
connections between our members, educate and inform on vital topics, and open up avenues
for your ideas and energies to flourish.
I'd like to take this opportunity to state how proud I am of this Guild we share and what a
privilege it is to be your President.
With both the promise of our new members and the passion and knowledge of our
experienced veterans in mind, 2019 looks bright!
I hope you, your family, and friends have a safe and wonderful holiday season.
In Solidarity,
KC Johnson
* http://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/union-byte-2018-01.pdf
** https://www.thenation.com/article/millennials-are-keeping-unions-alive/
*** https://www.epi.org/publication/how-todays-unions-help-working-people-giving-workers-the-power-to-
improve-their-jobs-and-unrig-the-economy/#epi-toc-6
HAPPY END OF THE YEAR
& HOLIDAY GREETINGS!
ON THE COVER
Rugrat's Tommy Pickles
together with Rick and
Morty's Pickle Rick. Images
courtesy of Nickelodeon and
Rick and Morty/Adult Swim.
L E T T E R
