A group of visual effects workers behind several “Star Wars” franchise productions have joined IATSE for collective bargaining purposes, the union shared on Tuesday.
Per the union’s update, the new bargaining unit includes workers from the United States that worked on Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” Disney+’s “Ahsoka” and the upcoming Ryan Gosling-led “Starfighter” movie.
IATSE noted that the new unit “overwhelmingly supported joining the union” and is set to embark on good-faith negotiations with its employer.
“These workers help bring some of the most ambitious stories in entertainment to life, and they deserve a meaningful voice in shaping their working conditions,” IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb said in a statement. “We are proud to welcome these visual effects professionals into our proud Union.”
As the union’s update continued, it highlighted how visual effects workers are essential to modern film and TV production, given their ability to “create the worlds, characters, and experiences that audiences see on screen.”
The statement added: “As the industry continues to evolve, workers across visual effects are increasingly seeking the protections, benefits and collective bargaining rights that come with union representation.”
IATSE, whose full name is the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, represents over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry. That includes live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast and trade shows.
The union’s mission is to help workers “advocate for industry-standard wages, benefits and working conditions.”
