Animation workers at Powerhouse Animation Studios in Texas have voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first union contract.
Ninety-six percent of the voting members of the Austin-based legislature Castle of Valencia The producer supported the pact in a vote, the Animation Guild announced Tuesday. The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that the 100-plus member negotiating unit includes both production workers and studio artists, holding roles such as animator, background designer and production assistant.
The Powerhouse Animation Studios deal is only the second that Animation Guild members have ratified outside of Los Angeles County, as the union continues to expand its reach beyond Southern California. (The first was with Titmouse New York, whose union members ratified their first deal in June 2023.)
Key provisions of the new contract were not immediately available, though the union’s top negotiator described it as “one of the strongest agreements” the union has ever reached. “This is one of the strongest agreements we’ve been able to negotiate, and the crew’s determination to prioritize issues is why,” company representative Steve Kaplan said in a statement. “I also want to recognize the work done by Powerhouse and its management team. We all had to be flexible to get to the finish line, and they demonstrated their commitment to being a productive partner with the union in the negotiations.”
Outside of Texas, Powerhouse Animation Studios has a small studio in Los Angeles that already has a contract with the Animation Guild.
In a statement, Powerhouse Animation Studios CEO and CCO Brad Graeber said the company was “proud and excited” that the union had ratified the deal. “When we expanded to Los Angeles, we started a good relationship with the union and have worked with them for years. But we are proud to be a studio that started in Austin, with deep roots in Texas. Having an animation union in Texas is a big deal, and we are excited to be a part of this historic first,” he said.
The contract marks the culmination of an organizing campaign that was first made public in April 2023, with workers saying at the time that they wanted to establish greater pay equity and job security with the campaign. In July of that year, the studio voluntarily recognized the union.