The HTP exclusion was implemented in 1999 in the tech boom, with the expectation that programmers and the like were paid handsomely, and that OT would be onerous to companies (🙄) so they were exempt from paying time-and-a-half for any hours over 40/week, it was just straight pay

Animation studios used it as a loophole in two ways:

1) They called Animation 'high tech' because we use computers (we're not)

2) They read it as 'there is NO pay at all above your salary, regardless of how many hours you work' - language like this was literally in contracts

When Sausage Party came out, the comment section of a Cartoon Brew post exploded with workers complaining of unpaid overtime, not appearing in the credits, among other things. In response, Unifor's media local filed a third-party lawsuit against HTP
cartoonbrew.com/artist-rights/…

The HTP exclusion had been taken to Employment Stanfards once before, but the case was filed by an individual who didn't have the legal backing of a union, and they weren't able to argue it in language the judges understood, so it was upheld even for animation and game workers

The Sausage Party scandal was big enough news that it spurred local animation workers to form an independent group to agitate for unionization in Vancouver's animation industry. They called themselves the Art Babbitt Appreciation Society, in honour of the striking Disney Animator

ABAS was a gathering place for animation workers to talk about work issues, to educate each other about the function of unions, and to link up with organizers from IATSE, both local reps and The Animation Guild // #WeAre839 members from Los Angeles

Workers persisted for more than two years, putting up posters, holding town hall meetings, and doing the work of talking to their coworkers over food, drinks, coffee, all about the benefits of unions

In 2019 the lawsuit Unifor filed finally reached a conclusion, awarding Sausage Party workers with overtime back-pay, and setting the precedent that animation workers were not 'high tech professionals.' Some studios changed their overtime policy overnight.
cartoonbrew.com/artist-rights/…

On the tails of this news, and the consistent organizing that workers were doing, pro-union sentiment took root among workers at Titmouse Vancouver, many of whom had faced rapidly worsening working conditions and grueling hours. They were ready to make waves.

The pandemic put a major crimp in workers' ability to organize, but by now Titmouse workers had built a great deal of momentum, and found ways to reach out to coworkers even through the darkest depths of working-from-home. Social media was a major avenue for organizing.

In fall of 2020, Titmouse workers had built enough support to file for certification with the labour board, winning the union vote with 98% (!) of workers voting in favour, which led to the formation of Canada's first animation local, Canadian Animation Guild, IATSE Local 938
cbc.ca/news/canada/br…