Negotiations are the process of establishing and agreeing upon a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with employers. These agreements stipulate minimum wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits, and The Animation Guild negotiates its Master Agreement every three years.
Having a CBA with a limited term is beneficial to us because it gives us time to figure out what parts of the CBA are working and what needs to be revised. When parts of the CBA need revisions, the Negotiations Committee can write proposals to change them.
We bargain for these changes with the employers during negotiations, and the “wants” of the membership are pitted against what employers are willing to provide. The negotiations process requires both parties to be willing to compromise and bargain in “good faith” toward a resolution. Negotiating individually can be difficult, but negotiating a base agreement collectively means that our ability to achieve our demands is stronger.