Overview
- A bargaining unit of U.S. visual effects workers who work directly on Star Wars titles has voted overwhelmingly to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees for collective bargaining.
- The unit includes crew who contributed to projects such as The Mandalorian & Grogu, Ahsoka and Starfighter and will now enter good-faith negotiations with the employer for a first contract.
- IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb welcomed the members and said they deserve a meaningful voice in shaping their working conditions.
- Recent contracts for Avatar and for Marvel/Disney created concrete comparators like overtime pay, eligibility for the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan, meal penalties, rest periods, turnaround guarantees, and multi-year raises that the Star Wars unit is likely to seek.
- The move signals a shift from organizing vendor houses to production-level crews and could raise labor standards across the VFX sector by bringing high-profile franchise work under collective agreements.