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games industry unionization thread/improving conditions in our workplaces

polygonboi
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we all love to make games but it would be super nice if we could actually not be exploited while we do that right? we could make that dream a reality if we just organized ourselves.


ok so we're all aware that game developers are pretty consistently treated like absolute garbage by their employers for multiple reasons, and that game developers have almost zero organizations that actually advocate for workers. (IGDA has been pretty strongly anti-labor and that really sucks.) when i was at GDC i got a zine from this group https://www.gameworkersunite.org/ and damn im happy that they're doing something at least. 

the company i work for has done some really shitty things to its employees (myself included) like refusing to pay overtime/wage theft/refusing to give paid sick leave/no maternity leave/sexual harassment/etc. and as a group we have pretty much no power to get them to stop being so shitty to us. my company unfortunately also is in a "right-to-work" state in the USA that has almost no rights for workers -especially- workers trying to organize as a group. ive only really talked about this with about 5 other employees who are friends i can trust but im terrified that if my coworkers and i were to try to do anything real we would essentially be blacklisted and never be able to find work in this industry again. (hence why im making this post from an anonymous account) we're in the process right now of talking to some members or union organizing groups in our area along with a lawyer i know who's are looking into labor laws where we live. 

saying "oh just find a job at a better studio" doesn't work since these problems are endemic to the industry at large. plus, do you really want to just let someone else suffer when the position you left does get filled or would you rather try to make things better for both yourself AND you're fellow workers?

i think the other major thing we're dealing with as an industry seems to be the continuing push towards employers using any technique they can to get out of paying benefits/etc. to workers by using freelancers/part time/etc. and it's definitely part of the larger trends we see in capitalism already. 

aside from the recent voice actor strike stuff+ gameworkersunite along with the recent eugen systems strike im not aware of many instances of game devs (and especially game artists) trying to stand up for themselves. 

the fundamental issue i see is that our employers have tricked us into believing that we're really just a bunch of powerless individuals who have to just accept our awful treatment. as an industry we need to learn that if we come together we can demand to be treated with respect by the companies that gladly exploit us.  

ok also serious note here please dont come into the thread shitting on unions/coops/etc. and parroting the same shit we hear all the time from our bosses who would gladly pay us less if they could. https://thenib.com/if-they-could-pay-us-less-they-would

i'd really really like to make sure this thread is centered around positive news/suggestions on how we can improve the industry we work in!


Replies

  • NikhilR
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      I can see why people may hesitate to comment on this post lol. That large typeface is a bit startling!

      Going to the labor board is the right way to resolve your issue with your company since a lot of the problems you're facing have to deal with your contract rather than the state of the industry as a whole.
     Not to say that other developers don't face these problems, but it is possible to resolve these issues at your company. 

     I don't think you'll be blacklisted if you reveal your identity, though it might become more difficult to keep working at your current company. There are places like glassdoor where you can voice your experience in anonymity. 

     I'm curious to know if you were aware of these problems before signing up with your company, or if they arose during your tenure there?

      Overtime pay, paid sick leave, maternity leave are usually agreed upon on a contract, some companies have a probationary period before receiving benefits.

       Sexual harassment and wage-theft are internal issues, though they can be escalated to a labor board
    Probably not the right idea to project these issues across game development as the whole. 

       If you check out glassdoor, you'll see that each company has its share of issues with varying demographics having different opinions about why they choose to work there and why they left.

      The game industry caters to a lot of different game developer personalities so I'm sure you'll find the right fit if you're dedicated to that direction. 

       What a union is good for is ensuring the same standards across an industry. While it may have helped you, you can definitely get the benefits you want in a properly negotiated contract or a renegotiation when you are up for review. 
      It isn't unusual for employees to leave a company, join a competitor for a salary bump and then return to the first company for a better contract. 
      I've also found that a union works better when the industry is limited to a few large companies that control the majority of a market providing a service that is not too diversified.

     Game development falls into the entertainment industry but works very differently compared to the film industry in release cycles and turnover. A lot of the investment goes to marketing than development which is understandable since gamers are more challenging audience to reach. Its not like games once released are played in movie theatres, its a very individualised experience.

     The recent advancement of battle royal and pvp multiplayer style games helps to localise the marketing to a specific audience which may put more investment into the development process while maintaining brand identity.
     Maybe working for these sort of companies is more up your alley?

      It may still be possible for the employers of a very large company to unionise within that company rather than across the industry as a whole. I think that depends on the employees currently at these studios, would be interested to hear from them on this matter.

      That said I would like to see a educational board created where I'm from with its focus on game development college education. This would make it easier to ascertain if its viable to keep training game developers when there isn't a large enough local job market to accommodate them.

      Perhaps by being specific to game development it could assess the quality and relevance of the course material being offered at these schools so the least students can expect is having the right skills to create a good portfolio they can build upon. 



       
  • JEmerson
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    So I am going to ignore what @NikhilR stated because Nik seems to be coming at this from a non-USA employment perspective. I actually had this conversation with my attorneys who tackle this very issue regularly and often (if you want, I can give you their contact info -- although Bar licensing may prevent them from acting on your behalf and/or other issues that may preclude it). The short version is this though -- even if you are in a right-to-work state (I am as well, fyi) - an employer cannot legally commit wage theft for wages owed to non-exempt employees for overtime pay. This is not a state-by-state issue. This is a federal level issue. There are some professions that are exempt from overtime pay requirements for non-exempt employees (e.g., Programmers). As for your benefits, that is a state-by-state and employer-to-employer issue that should be addressed contractually, within company policy, and you should learn about it prior to signing on. Most importantly though, if it is stated in policy, contractually or by law (e.g., Family Medical Leave), your employer has an obligation to provide it. They don't get a choice - unless they alter their policy in which case you sue.

    As for unionization, the degree to which this topic continues to pop-up year-over-year, the movement of labor from internal to outsourcing/part-time/freelancing is indicative of tightening labor demand. The truth of the matter is that there are only so many games that can be made in a given year, and more and more people are wanting to join the industry, whereas we are seeing the first round of truly career-long games employees beginning to reach retirement ages (not early retirement). It is an employer's market, not an employee's, and an equilibrium has not been reached. Secondly, management (or mismanagement) has not been properly figured out for the industry, across the board. This translates directly into management of the work cycles and misses on the part of costs estimations and time. Thirdly on this point, would be that (again, labor market) there are many people who do it for the "love" and don't understand what is necessity (yet). They will learn, but not before more young people enter who do not know better. This is an information gap that needs to be addressed at the educational level.

    Is unionization necessary for the industry? In my opinion, yes it is. Collective bargaining to ensure fair treatment of employees, even as they move between companies (like in the film industry), is certainly possible and would benefit both employees and employers by decreasing the up-front costs associated with hiring. It would also facilitate an across-the-board process for addressing employment related issues. However, does that mean we should look to the film industry as a model? I would argue no, as the film industry is screwed up in many other ways.

    TL,DR: Don't take what your employer gives you as gospel. Research, investigate, ask an attorney. If your employer is screwing you then be prepared to screw them right back. We don't live in a nice world. Contracts are not made to ensure fair treatment, they are made to ensure the enforcement of the terms of the contract.
  • NikhilR
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    I was mainly offering a general perspective. Thank you for elaborating more on "right to work states", I wasn't aware of that term being outside of the US.
    You've put forward some great points.

    Sigmafie said:
    Thirdly on this point, would be that (again, labor market) there are many people who do it for the "love" and don't understand what is necessity (yet). They will learn, but not before more young people enter who do not know better. This is an information gap that needs to be addressed at the educational level.


      This is the point that I find very unique to the game industry. And in a place where you have a ton of game dev schools pumping out a fresh batch year after year with a tiny local job market, its a really unfortunate state of affairs. 
      Interestingly, its the best environment for a union when you think about it.
      I do admire that being passionate, disciplined and working smart does push the bar on what is possible in game art. I hope that translates to meaningful work opportunities for the truly dedicated.

  • Brian "Panda" Choi
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    I'd be down for unionizing.

    I just wonder what we'd be collectively looking to trade off for the reality.

    Looking at you, movies and television guilds.
  • polygonboi

    Game Workers Unite!

    • Have you ever felt exploited by the game industry? Are you in a precarious situation? No job stability and in desperate need of support? Are you losing hope that you can work in a landscape you love at all?
    • Are you tired of crunch?
    • Worried management isn’t listening to you or your concerns?
    • Are you struggling to pay bills, or lacking basic benefits like health care insurance or paid parental leave?
    • Do you suspect you’re being paid less than your co-workers because of your race or gender?
    • We are a currently-forming anonymous and horizontal organization of people dedicated to advocating for workers' rights and the crafting of a unionized games industry. We represent all workers in game development and we seek to increase the visibility of our cause through community building, sharing resources, and direct action. We seek to bring hope to and empower those suffering in this industry.
    • The organization is run exclusively by workers (non-employers), but we actively encourage employers, academics, and others to engage in the community and help support the organization's direct action efforts both materially and through their visibility.
    Find chapters near you, or start your own!
    https://www.gameworkersunite.org/get-involved

    Follow our efforts and other game industry unionization news in the press!
    https://www.gameworkersunite.org/press


    Learn about unions, hear game industry horror stories, and arm yourself with pro-union literature.
    https://www.gameworkersunite.org/resources


    Game Workers Unite Newsletter: SUBSCRIBE

  • Kbrom12
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    Kbrom12 polycounter lvl 8
  • Joao Sapiro
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    Joao Sapiro sublime tool
    i havent read it nor understand what it is but workers rights have a soft spot on my heart. i am so drunk sorry
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