In a major setback for IATSE efforts to organize the Canadian animation industry, employees of Vancouver’s Kickstart Entertainment unanimously voted for the Canadian Animation Guild (CAG) to get out of the local 938. The number of employees who were eligible to vote in the studio are not known.
The workers’ move to leave the CAG 938 is particularly surprising that Kickstart workers voted only to make the studio union last year. Kickstart said in a press statement that the workers blamed their decision to leave the union because they “wanted to remove obstacles in communication, restore the liquidity of the workplace and strengthen a collaborative environment that the studio culture culture There has been a defined element. “
Canada’s West Coast Animation Industry first started in 2020 with Titmhouse Vancouver, which marked the launch of CAG 938. Wildbrain, Kickstart and Icon Creative Studio chased before this latest shock. CAG President Eddie Pedrera told KidsscreenWho reported the first news:
The guild always suggests that it is a decision to join or maintain the union – and should be a democratic. Working under these principles means that not every vote is going in your way, but this workplace is the nature of democracy, and this is something that we will always respect. … as (along with any other workplace), Kickstart is affected by market forces and decisions of leadership. It is unfortunate that the contract we started with the Kickstart Belding Committee will remain a draft currently, but should these workers feel differently, they will always have a house (Canadian animation guild).
Employee representatives of both studios and management team of Kickstart offered the platitude Kidsscreen About how they trust each other and want to work with each other. “We are committed to promoting a positive, transparent and supportive work environment, where we can grow, cooperate and thrive together,” an employee representative Biren Lebo told the magazine.
Meanwhile, Kickstart President Heather Putok said: “Our employees are in the heart of Kickstart Entertainment, and their voices shape the future of the studio. We are committed to ensure that every member of the team finds valuable, supported and strong to do his best work in an environment created on confidence and cooperation. ,
Kickstart is a service studio that creates children’s animated series. In its presentations: World of Barney ,Starbeam (Netflix), Deepa and Anoop (Netflix), Brown and friend (Netflix), My first barbie (YouTube), American girl (YouTube), Itsy mitsy (Prime Video), and Lucas Spider (Max).
