In a groundbreaking development, a group of visual effects artists working on Disney's CGI-heavy 'Avatar' films has successfully voted to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). This marks the first time that a group of 'vendor-side' VFX artists have secured union representation through an official National Labor Relations Board vote. With 57 votes in favor and 19 against, these VFX workers, employed by a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, are associated with the Lightstorm Entertainment production company.
The decision to unionize has been met with enthusiastic support from the VFX community, as it promises to bring about more equitable compensation and benefits for these talented artists. Patrick DeVaney, a post-vis coordinator at Lightstorm, expressed his pride in his colleagues, stating, 'I could not be more proud of my fellow visual effects workers on the 'Avatar' sequels for standing together to secure our right to collectively bargain for more equitable compensation and benefits.'
