The IATSE is a labour organization that represents Motion Picture and Television technicians across North America. We have been working for many years with visual effects workers to support efforts to raise your working conditions. We have heard about the recent hardships experienced by VFX and animation employees at Nitrogen Studios in BC and Arc Productions in Ontario, and realize that many consider these adverse conditions to be normal in this industry.

We don’t agree, and believe working people in visual effects and animation deserve better conditions, such as those we have successfully fought for on behalf of our members. We want to help artists and technicians in visual effects and animation succeed in being treated fairly at work, long-term, across the continent.

NITROGEN STUDIOS EMPLOYEES on SAUSAGE PARTY:

We understand that a complaint has been filed at the BC Employment Standards Branch on behalf of employees who feel they are owed overtime pay. We would like to talk to you to see what other remedies are available and what we can do to protect you from situations like this going forward. We do not believe that VFX artists and technicians are exempt from provincial overtime provisions, and support workers seeking to ensure that their overtime is paid appropriately.

We want to meet with you and our legal counsel in Vancouver.If you’re interested in participating in a meeting, please contact Julia Neville at the IATSE Western Canadian Office at: jneville [at] iatse [dot] net

ARC PRODUCTIONS EMPLOYEES:

We understand that Arc Productions in Ontario went into receivership on August 2, 2016, leaving hundreds of employees unpaid. The receiver, Deloitte, has been in contact with you about the Government of Canada Wage Earner Protection Program. This program may allow Arc employees to recover some or all of any outstanding wages, vacation, termination and/or severance pay. Additional information on the WEP Program, including how to make and file your claim for wages owing to you, can be obtained at:

Service Canada website: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/wepp//index.shtml

Deloitte Restructuring Inc. website: http://www.insolvencies.deloitte.ca/en-ca/Pages/ArcProductionsLtd.aspx?searchpage=Search-Insolvencies.aspx

We want to meet with you and our legal counsel in Toronto. If you have questions about the WEP Program process or would like to participate in a meeting, please contact Liz Albert at the IATSE Canadian Office at 416-362-3569 or ealbert [at] iatse [dot] net.

TO THE VISUAL EFFECTS COMMUNITY:

The Nitrogen and Arc issues are just the latest in a long history of VFX employees enduring a lack of basic workplace standards and conditions, including nonpayment of wages. We understand your hardships, and want to share how similar situations in the entertainment industry have been addressed by coming together as a community and building agreements that benefit you with your employers. Now, while the entertainment industry is thriving on the work you do, is the time to take a stand and create a better workplace for you and your colleagues in the visual effects community at large. Learn more at vfxunion.org and by contacting Steve Kaplan at skaplan [at] iatse [dot] net or 818-980-3499.