Overview
- Fifteen in-house visual effects artists voted unanimously on July 14 to approve their inaugural IATSE contract
- Negotiations that began in April and concluded ahead of the season 50 finale secured established minimum wage tiers and annuity contributions
- The agreement guarantees kill fees for canceled projects, a formal grievance process and strict protections against AI overreach and outsourcing
- Organizers gained voluntary recognition in October 2024 after petitioning NBC and wearing union insignia on set instead of threatening a strike
- The ratification reflects a surge in unionization among studio VFX teams, following similar IATSE drives at Marvel and Disney