Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1446450
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 7 L E T T E R DEAR TAG MEMBERS, IT MEANS SO MUCH TO US BE TO PART OF THIS DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION, AND WE HOPE YOU FEEL THE SAME. NO MATTER WHAT ROLE WE TAKE, WE ARE ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND EQUALLY A PART OF WHAT THE ANIMATION GUILD IS: THE COMBINED STRENGTH OF EVERY MEMBER, FOCUSED AND WORKING IN UNISON TOWARD POSITIVE CHANGE. Our Union brings us together to create the working environment and conditions we want. It also does more than that. It unites us to look out for each other and care about one another's well-being. It's both a tool to give us agency in the workplace and a tool to allow us to reach out and improve our communities. The importance of TAG—beyond contract protections and benefits—became especially apparent during the pandemic. Most of us were isolated at home, in bedrooms or dining rooms turned into offices. Workplace abuses are much harder to combat in isolation, and on the creative side, animation is an inherently collaborative medium. During these unprecedented times, the Union has provided a sense of community and security. It's been such a pleasure to hear from members about how thankful they are for their benefits, and in turn tell them how this support will continue into the future with their pensions and retiree health plans. Learning about the long history of labor within this country, as well as the role our Guild has played in the animation industry over the past 70 years, makes us proud to be TAG members. Looking back on our history, it comforts us to know that we stand on a strong foundation of forces behind the battle lines watching our backs. We're thrilled that Local 839 has thrived for this long, and with exciting new developments like the addition of Titmouse New York, we feel the best is yet to come. We also believe we're a force for good beyond our workplaces. Not only do we protect our union kin, we provide entertainment, escape, and illumination through the countless movies and television series our talented artists, technicians, and writers create. We are all in animation because we love what we do, but to be at our best and most effective, we must advocate for ourselves within our workplaces and industry as a whole. In recent years, our members have been the most engaged we've ever seen, and it's such an honor to be part of a great legacy fighting for animation workers' rights. As we look back on our own history, let's remember that what we do today will be the future's history of The Animation Guild. In Solidarity, The Animation Guild Executive Board