Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1446450
32 KEYFRAME C R E AT IN G C O M M U N I T Y T H R O U G H C O M M I T T E E S One of the many ways TAG members have found their voices is through the numerous all-volunteer-run committees. Under the headings of Craft, Community, Advocacy, and Organizing, these committees have created vital proposals for the bargaining table, and during the last two bargaining cycles we've had the largest negotiations committees in our history. But the committees aren't just about important nuts and bolts issues like getting recognition for a specific craft or expanding skill sets through training. They are also about improving our members' overall quality of life. From the FAM Committee's work to draw attention to autism health care needs to the Queer TAG Committee's efforts to support the animation community's LGBTQIA+ members, the committees represent a diverse cross-section of The Animation Guild. It's not possible for everyone to always agree, but with our committees, everyone has a voice as well as a path to be heard. J O IN IN G T H E M O D E R N W O R L D With an eye toward modernizing, TAG has been updating its databases so we can work more efficiently as an organization, increasing our communications efforts to improve transparency in how our Union works, and creating new means of connecting like This Week @ TAG, our member e-newsletter, to provide up-to-date information. We have also grown our staff. To the handful of core people who ran our office, we added a communications department, member programs coordinator, field rep, and an organizer dedicated to serving artists, technicians, and writers across the U.S. E X PA N D IN G O U R R E A C H In 2017 member Lynn Hunter proposed doing something to promote the general membership meetings: What if we all wear our TAG t-shirts the day before the meeting? This idea, shepherded by former Director of Community and Culture Brooke Keesling, became TAG Tuesdays, where members of the Guild show their pride in being union members and show their employers the power in our numbers. Along with this member-driven initiative, we expanded our event and workshop offerings. Lunch & Learns help address a variety of member needs, from improving credit scores to creating an ergonomic workspace to coping during Covid. Our panels—which didn't slow down but went virtual during the pandemic—offer information and insights, whether it's the ins and outs of showrunning or the history of diversity in animation. Through partnerships with our fellow local unions, we have expanded our reach beyond our Local 839 borders, and by connection with and supporting organizations like the Bric Foundation, LatinX in Animation, Black 'N Animated, and ASIFA, we have broadened how we engage with other organizations and doubled down on our commitment to a fully representative and inclusive industry. Our holistic commitment can also be seen in our annual Portfolio Review Days, spear-headed by members Crystal Kan and Jake Hollander. By pairing members with hundreds of students who want to join our industry one day, we build a bridge, offer a first positive experience of The Animation Guild, and widen our mentorship reach F E AT U R E