JOINING FAQ
Member Benefits
Members of The Canadian Animation Guild, IATSE Local 938 can access a wide range of resources and benefits through the Local. Some benefits include:
RRSPs
The Canadian Entertainment Industry Retirement Plan (CEIRP) is a not-for-profit organization that manages retirement savings for union members in the entertainment industry, with the sole mission of growing members' retirement funds. We share costs for the management of this fund with all other IATSE workers across Canada in film, stage, and live events. This massive group of workers allows us to offer very low management rates. The CEIRP plan has more than 33,000 participants and over $1 billion in assets.
Discounts, Education, and Funding
CAG 938 members have access to a wide range of discounts on goods and services through Union Savings. The Local's Education Committee also hosts ongoing workshops and training courses. Reimbursement for training is also available through the Education Committee's Professional Development Fund.
Events
The Young Workers' and Pride Committees routinely run social events in the Metro Vancouver area to encourage strong community connections and networking opportunities.
Building Your Union
A union is created by members, for members. Being a member of CAG 938 means you have the opportunity to participate in Committees, join in on General Membership Meetings, and vote on (or run in) elections. Holding a union membership gives you a voice in how the union grows and impacts our industry.
Membership Dues & Payment Schedules
Membership dues for The Canadian Animation Guild are paid on a quarterly basis in the amount of $80.00 CAD per quarter. To maintain a membership in Good Standing, members must settle their quarterly dues payment before the end of each quarter. The quarters are broken down as follows:
- Q1 – January, February, March
- Q2 – April, May, June
- Q3 – July, August, September
- Q4 – October, November, December
If your application for membership is approved, your membership will become active and payment of quarterly dues will begin at the start of the next fiscal quarter. (Example: an approved and completed application made in May would have the new member begin payment of quarterly dues as of July 1.)
Quarterly dues payments are payable starting on the first day of the quarter, and due on the last day of the quarter. Failing to pay your quarterly dues on time will incur a $50 CAD late fee and you will fall out of good standing with the local. For details on further consequences for non-payment of dues, please see the Member in Arrears Policy.
There is an annual payment option, which is available to new or existing members in Q1 of each year. Any member may switch from quarterly to annual payments in Q1 and pay their membership dues for the entire calendar year, in the amount of $288.00 CAD (a 10% discount compared to quarterly payments). Annual dues payments will not be eligible for partial refunds.
If you begin working at a unionized studio, that studio would also deduct working dues from your pay and remit them to the local on your behalf, per your collective agreement.
For a full overview of how Membership Dues work, please read over the CAG 938 Dues FAQ.
Is Membership Right for You?
Membership in CAG 938 is incredibly valuable, and we welcome all eligible workers to apply to join. However, the resources available to you as a member differ greatly depending on whether you work in a studio that is unionized under CAG.
The greatest value in a union is its ability to bargain and enforce a collective agreement in a workplace. Collective agreements are what allow the union to build up and enforce better working conditions for its members. It also allows the union to represent its members if labour law is broken.
Currently, the following studios are unionized under CAG 938:
- Titmouse Canada Animation Inc.
- WildBrain Studios Vancouver (In Bargaining)
- KickStart Entertainment Vancouver (In Bargaining)
- ICON Creative Studio Vancouver (In Bargaining)
- Union Cooperative Initiative
It is important to note that CAG 938 does not operate as a “hiring hall” union. While there are many resources and benefits to membership, CAG 938 does not dispatch or place members to work in the workplaces it represents.
Joining CAG as an individual member will not bring a union or collective agreement to your workplace – only you and your fellow workers can make that happen! Organizing is a big job, but the rewards you get from it are worth the effort. You don’t need to apply for membership at CAG to access IATSE support and start organizing your workplace. Simply email IATSE’s lead organizer, Jeremy Salter at jsalter@iatse.net to get started!
Thank you for reading over the Joining FAQ!