Animation production workers at the Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios are organizing to join The Animation Guild (TAG).

In total, 66 workers at WB Animation and 22 at Cartoon Network Studios have signed a petition requesting a union election, which was submitted to the National Labor Relations Board this week. 

The effort is being driven specifically by production workers, such as managerial and coordination roles, as well as assistants. They are demanding voluntary recognition from both studios, which fall under the Warner Bros. Discovery media conglomerate.

This year, workers at LA’s Nickelodeon Studios and Powerhouse Animation in Texas successfully earned recognition from their respective companies after they voted to unionize with TAG. 

Andrew Guastaferro, a former WB Animation staff writer who previously served on the organizing committee behind the campaign for four years, highlighted adequate compensation as a key concern for the workers in a Twitter thread. “[WB] is a legacy studio that had plenty of time to elevate conditions for their workers on their own, and their workers are fed up with letting [management] choose when things get better for them. It’s just not happening.” 

Hannah Ferenc, a production manager at WB Animation, said in a statement to THR: “Although many might not think it, production is a specialized skill; we might not be artists or writers, but what we bring to the table goes beyond traditional creativity and gets content on the air.”

It has been a summer of solidarity so far, with ongoing strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. These unions, which began striking in May and July respectively, are also negotiating with studios for better contracts and compensation.

Featured image: Warner Bros. Animation’s upcoming series Batman: Caped Crusader.