Why We’re Forming a Union

Hear directly from your friends and co-workers at Yowza about why they’re excited to vote YES for unionizing and how it will help us build a better workplace together. Want to add your own quote please email Rajean Hoilett at rhoilett@iatse.net.

As a lead, I want to have a say in scheduling and team size. It’s important that we have enough time and resources to do our work properly without being forced into crunch mode. With a union, we can ensure that leads and supervisors have a voice in these decisions, which will benefit the whole team.

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Animation, by the nature of it's reliance on relatively short term contracts for most workers, is an industry especially prone to exploitation. Yowza's great, but we can make it better; And if we unionize, we're opening the door for more studios in Ontario to follow. It's our first and best step towards creating an industry that's more fair for everyone.

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I am in support of a union because I would like to have a pension and health insurance in between projects that the union can provide.

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I've been wishing the animation industry here was unionized ever since I landed my first contract out of school; And I'm thrilled to finally see it happening now!

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I've worked at a few other studios in the past, and can honestly say that Yowza has been the best place I've worked at thus far. Having experienced the ugly side of the industry, however, I've been made fully aware of how easily these nice things can be taken away. I want a union so that we can continue to keep Yowza such a great studio to work at. To ensure that we can keep everything we have now, and to add, not take away, more protections for everyone moving forward.

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Having the artist as a worker be respected has always been at the forefront of my mind ever since I got my first animation industry job. We are always stronger together when we make our voices heard towards a common goal - and my own goal is to see Yowza succeed and thrive under a union that makes us all feel recognized in the aspects that matter most to us. When my coworkers' concerns about scheduling, standards, and overwork are dismissed, it only strengthens my desire to see that goal reached.

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Throughout my time at Yowza, I’ve come to regard it as one of the top studios in Toronto. The studio has consistently treated its employees with fairness and respect, and I am committed to ensuring it remains a fantastic place to work. I believe that a union will give us a collective voice to address our concerns, and gives us a sense of solidarity amongst my colleagues. With the current state of the industry I think a union will give us the tools and confidence to advocate for ourselves more effectively. Let’s continue to work together to uphold these values and make our studio an even better place to work.

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I can confidently say, within the common negative outlook on work culture that I love my job! I love the amazing things we make, and seeing my peers and coworkers pursue their creative passions. We love what we do, so much. However that love is often exploited. Do we not deserve proper compensation for the long hours we put in for our craft? Do we not deserve a safety net when the industry threatens layoff after layoff? Do we not deserve the same basic rights of our Unionized American friends? I love my job, but I know that my job isn't fair. But things can be better! For both the industry and it's workers.