Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544997
L E T T E R IN THE DECADE SINCE I FIRST BECAME INVOLVED WITH TAG, I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN A UNION AND HOW TO BUILD OUR COLLECTIVE POWER. Some of it was taught to me directly by the brilliant organizers I've been lucky enough to meet. Other things I've picked up "on the job." One lesson (that I'm still learning) is how to cultivate hope, especially against difficult headwinds like the ones we now face. First: we have to celebrate our wins. In a recent, historic development, California's tax incentive program now includes animated productions for the first time... ever! Applications for several projects, both TV series and features, have already been accepted by the state, and all but one will be covered by a TAG contract. This means hundreds of jobs will stay here, in our Union's jurisdiction, when they otherwise would have been outsourced elsewhere. This game-changing result could not have happened without the diligent and relentless organizing of rank-and-file TAG members, elected leadership, members of TAG's Animation Incentive Task Force, and TAG support staff. Of course, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. But celebrating our wins doesn't mean we're ignorant of the battles that lie ahead. In fact, moments like this are the key to building long-term success. They're the fuel that drives us to keep up the momentum. In the multi-pronged fight for fair wages, consistent and sustainable work, and improved and equitable working conditions for animation workers everywhere, the bargaining table is just one arena; legislature and policy, like these tax incentives, another. In order to win, we must use every tool in our kit. This is a moment worth celebrating, and one that we can snowball into even more ambitious goals. The Animation Incentive Task Force is already getting the ball rolling to advocate for a federal incentive to benefit TAG members across the United States! When we choose to hope, we take the first (and sometimes the most difficult) step to organize for a better future. If you're ready to take that step, your Union is here for you! In Solidarity, Danny Lin | President The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839 CELEBRATE OUR WINS ON THE COVER The animated series Stranger Things: Tales from '85 sets the fan favorite between Seasons 2 and 3 of the live-action original, giving TAG creatives a chance to develop the characters in deeper ways as they battle new enemies.