TAG Sees Major Membership Surge in 2025
The Animation Guild celebrated a series of significant organizing victories at the close of 2025, successfully expanding its membership across multiple major studios. These wins underscore a growing movement among animation and production professionals to secure collective bargaining rights in a rapidly evolving industry.
Netflix Animation Studios Production Workers Unionize
In a decisive National Labor Relations Board election concluded on December 30, production staff at Netflix Animation Studios chose to join The Animation Guild. The vote saw 44 workers in favor and 13 against unionization.
This unit includes professionals involved in the streamer's slate of upcoming projects, including new adaptations of Roald Dahl's stories and the production following the 2023 film Leo. A production coordinator at the studio expressed optimism about the result, noting the importance of having a unified voice and acknowledging the path set by similar teams across the industry.
DreamWorks Remote Staff Joins the Ranks
Just one week prior, on December 23, the union secured another victory with remote animation employees at DreamWorks. In an NLRB-sanctioned election, 52 workers voted to join, with 10 opposed.
This bargaining unit is unique, comprising over 70 eligible staffers who contribute to Los Angeles-based DreamWorks productions while living in various states across the country. Their successful organization highlights the union's commitment to representing professionals beyond a single geographic hub.
NBCUniversal's Ted Series Production Team Votes Unanimously
Also on December 23, a smaller group of production workers on the NBCUniversal series Ted held their own election. The team voted unanimously for dual affiliation, joining both The Animation Guild and The Editors Guild, a separate IATSE-affiliated local.
Following these elections, the National Labor Relations Board has officially certified all new union units.
A Strategic Push Amid Industry Challenges
These successful campaigns are part of a deliberate and aggressive organizing strategy by The Animation Guild, which represents approximately 5,000 professionals. The union is moving forward despite sector-wide challenges, including entertainment industry contraction and the disruptive emergence of generative artificial intelligence.
The drives at Netflix, DreamWorks, and the Ted series were formally announced in September 2025. The union's leadership has been vocal about its continued focus on growth and advocacy. The newly elected president has emphasized a clear mission for the organization to actively organize and secure wins for workers.
Echoing this sentiment, the guild's top business representative stated that the union plans to continue broadening its reach. He emphasized protecting the rights of all animation workers, irrespective of their physical location, and expanding the union's jurisdiction both within and beyond the scope of its existing master agreement.
