Sep 18, 2024

Workers at Austin's Powerhouse Animation Studios Vote Overwhelmingly in Favor of Joining the Animation Guild

The overwhelming majority of animation workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios in Austin, Texas, have ratified the first union contract with the Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839. [This historic contract marks the first time TAG has successfully unionized an animation studio in a right-to-work state. In recent years, TAG has greatly expanded its efforts to organize animation workers outside of its traditional Los Angeles County membership, successfully organizing workers at Titmouse's New York studio and workers in Virginia and Puerto Rico.

The priorities of Powerhouse workers included equal pay, job security, and retirement benefits; TAG and the bargaining committee worked to secure a collective bargaining agreement that suited Texas market conditions and business model. (Powerhouse's small satellite studio in Los Angeles was already a member of TAG.)

Powerhouse is best known for its action series such as Castlevania, Masters of the Universe, and Seismanos: Revelations, Seism Manos, and Blood of Zeus. The company is currently developing an animated feature-length version of the novel “We've Gone to Hell” with Trustbridge Entertainment and Lilly Warshawsky, co-creator and co-director of the “Matrix” series.

“We are very proud to add Powerhouse Animation Studios to our growing list of contract studios in the United States,” said TAG Business President Steve Kaplan in a statement. Our organizing and negotiating committees did an incredible job in getting us to this day. This is the strongest agreement we have been able to negotiate and is a testament to the commitment of our crews to our priorities. I also want to recognize the efforts of the Powerhouse and its leadership team. We all had to be flexible to get to the finish line, but they demonstrated their determination to be productive partners with the union in our negotiations."