Union Members at Kickstart Entertainment Opt to Part Ways with the Canadian Animation Union
In a surprising turn of events, Kickstart Entertainment, a renowned producer of children's animated series, has announced its withdrawal from the Canadian Animation Guild (CAG) Local 938. This decision, made despite employees having voted to unionize just last year, marks a notable setback for the unionization movement on Canada's West Coast.
The exact reasons behind Kickstart's decision remain undisclosed, but the company cited a desire to "remove barriers to communication, restore workplace fluidity, and reinforce a collaborative environment" as the driving factors. This move follows a series of unionization efforts initiated by Titmouse Vancouver in 2020, which saw Wildbrain, Kickstart, and Icon Creative Studio joining the movement.
Heather Puttock, president of Kickstart Entertainment, and Eddy Pedreira, president of the CAG, have not issued any new statements regarding this development. However, Pedreira previously stated that the Guild believes in the democratic process and will always uphold that principle.
The implications of such a withdrawal are significant. Without union representation, employees lose the collective bargaining power that allows them to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions. This could potentially lead to decreased industry standards in employment practices, affecting the overall quality of work life and industry standards.
Moreover, the withdrawal might reflect negatively on the company or industry if it is perceived as a step backward in terms of employee rights or benefits. It's important to note that for detailed information on specific events or their impact, it would be necessary to consult direct sources or reports from the Canadian Animation Guild or related media coverage.
Kickstart Entertainment is known for its popular productions such as Barney's World, StarBeam (Netflix), Deepa & Anoop (Netflix), Brown & Friends (Netflix), My First Barbie (YouTube), American Girl (YouTube), Itsy Mitsy (Prime Video), and Lucas the Spider (Max).
As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this decision impacts the unionization movement on Canada's West Coast and the Canadian animation industry as a whole.
In the midst of this development, it's possible that Kickstart Entertainment might be considering a new approach to finance and business operations, aiming to foster a collaborative environment within their entertainment production company. Moreover, the absence of union representation could result in changes within the sports of negotiations, potentially altering industry standards in finance, business, and entertainment on Canada's West Coast.
