Discover the Groundbreaking Move That's Shaking Up the Video Game Industry - Game Workers Unite for Unprecedented Change

2023-08-19 08:50:03

Workinman Interactive Video Game Workers File to Unionize With IATSE – The Hollywood Reporter

Staffers at Workinman Interactive have submitted a petition to unionize under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

The games studio, based in Rochester, New York, collaborates with clients including Nickelodeon, Disney, and Nintendo, creating interactive experiences for museums and events. The workers' decision to unionize is driven by the need to address industry challenges such as job insecurity, inadequate compensation, and a lack of collective representation, as stated by IATSE.

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IATSE Organizing Video Game Workers

IATSE has been actively working to unionize video game workers throughout the industry. The Communications Workers of America successfully organized two union drives at Activision Blizzard subsidiaries, while the third effort faced pressure from management and did not succeed. If approved, this would be the first game worker union under IATSE in the United States.

Expanding Efforts to Organize Visual Effects Workers

In addition to video game workers, IATSE has been making efforts to organize visual effects workers, including those at Disney's Marvel. On August 15, IATSE and Marvel reached an election agreement, allowing in-house visual effects workers at Marvel to vote on whether to unionize. The election is scheduled to take place from August 21 to September 11.

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Time for Change

IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb emphasized that IATSE was founded by entertainment industry workers who faced challenges such as long hours, precarious employment, and inadequate pay. Loeb stated, "The issues facing video game workers are the very issues this union has fought to address through collective bargaining for 130 years." He also mentioned the growing presence of major IATSE employers in the gaming industry, as well as the increasing solidarity within the entertainment industry, pointing to the importance of this moment.

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