Animation Guild Scores Big Wins with Netflix, DreamWorks & ‘Ted’ Votes

As the entertainment industry in Hollywood gears up for upcoming major labor negotiations, the Animation Guild, also known as IATSE Local 839, closed out 2025 with a series of successful unionization efforts.

Recent unionization ballots were cast by animation teams at Netflix Animation Studios, remote workers at DreamWorks Animation, and team members from NBCU’s Ted series, all choosing to affiliate with the Guild.

Organized by the National Labor Relations Board, these elections are set to increase the Guild’s membership by over 100, enhancing their ability to negotiate fair wages, benefits, and working conditions. “Our efforts to broaden our reach both within and outside our current contracts aim to safeguard the rights of animation workers everywhere,” stated Steve Kaplan, the Guild’s veteran Business Representative, regarding the recent unionization.

In celebration of these victories, TAG shared some festive artwork online this past Tuesday.

In late December, a group of employees from the Ted series and the feature production team at Netflix Animation made their union affiliations official, voting on December 23 and December 30 respectively. The former ballot was unanimous, also incorporating membership into the Editors Guild, while the latter vote concluded with a 44-13 tally in favor of unionizing.

DreamWorks Animation’s remote workers across the United States also voted to join the Guild on December 23, with a decisive 52-10 vote. This followed a September agreement where production workers overwhelmingly approved their first union contract.

These recent union certifications and votes are a testament to the Guild’s motto under the leadership of new president Danny Lin, “we will continue to organize, to fight, and to win.” Lin, a storyboard artist and writer, was elected unopposed as the head of IATSE Local 839 in early November last year.