The Marvel universe has new avengers: Visual effects workers want to unionize

Imagery creators at the studio voted for union recognition for the first time

By Michelle Cheng3 min readUpdated August 8, 2023

More than 50 visual effects (VFX) workers at Marvel Studios have filed for unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board for the first time in history. On Monday (Aug. 7), a supermajority of these workers signed authorization cards saying that they want to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which represents more than 168,000 workers across the art, media, and entertainment industries in the US and Canada. VFX workers—who are often subjected to long, grueling hours—are demanding the same rights and protections as their unionized colleagues in the film industry.

These workers are one of the only groups in film and television production that are not unionized. Positions like production designers and makeup artists have been historically represented by IATSE. Previous attempts by IATSE to organize VFX workers were unsuccessful.

Marvel’s VFX workers’ latest unionization efforts come as Hollywood screenwriters and actors continue to strike—simultaneously for the first time in more than 60 years—over pay and proposals for using artificial intelligence in production.

Visual effects workers are overworked

Part of why VFX workers are so overworked is due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe pumping out a prolific number of movies, as one VFX worker said in an interview with Vulture. It’s not uncommon for workers to put in long hours, with some toiling as many as 80 hours per week for months. Another worker claimed that most of Marvel’s directors expect quick turnaround times for projects, and, if there are complaints, Marvel will simply move on to the next understaffed visual effects house. Quartz has reached out to Marvel Studios for comment.

“Turnaround times don’t apply to us, protected hours don’t apply to us, and pay equity doesn’t apply to us,” Bella Huffman, a VFX coordinator, said in a statement. “Visual Effects must become a sustainable and safe department for everyone who’s suffered far too long and for all newcomers who need to know they won’t be exploited.”

Why are visual effects workers striking?

It’s hard to say whether the US is having a labor resurgence—its union membership rate stood at 10.1% in 2022 (pdf)—but Hollywood workers are in a unique situation: The advent of generative AI has pushed VFX and Hollywood workers to be concerned about their value in the workplace, as studios embrace using the emerging technology.

“Workers can see the value of having a ‘seat at the table’ when working conditions and reward structures are in flux,” said Erica Groshen, a labor economist at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. “In this new world for Hollywood productions, such negotiations between employers and workers will likely be pivotal in shaping the structure of jobs going forward.”

Other successful unionization drives—such as with Starbucks $SBUX baristas and Amazon $AMZN warehouse workers—and ongoing Hollywood strikes have likely boosted VFX workers’ confidence in good outcomes with the studios.

“We are witnessing an unprecedented wave of solidarity that’s breaking down old barriers in the industry and proving we’re all in this fight together,” Matthew D. Loeb, IATSE’s president, said in a statement. “That doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Entertainment workers everywhere are sticking up for each other’s rights, that’s what our movement is all about.”

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