Dec 13, 2024
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Animation Labor Union Grows
by Karl F. Cohen
Animation grunt workers at their posts. photo: unknownPLEASE support our GoFundMe campaign to cover research expenses for our articles and rebuilding the cineSOURCE site.
Microsoft Video Game Workers Vote to Join Union
The successful organizing of about 300 employees at Microsoft’s ZeniMax, a game production company with studios in Maryland and Texas, is considered a major victory given the company has been non-union since it was founded. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in 2020, and now it is the first Microsoft division to unionize, represented by the Communications Workers of America.
The unionization move at ZeniMax Media, which Microsoft acquired for about $7.5 billion, did not come about in the usual way, which is a union election run by the National Labor Relations Board. Instead, the company allowed workers to express their preferences by either signing a union authorization card or voting anonymously. Microsoft remained neutral throughout the union campaign and didn’t hold anti-union meetings or sending out messages that many companies do in their attempt to keep out unions.
It turned out that Microsoft is trying to acquire Activision Blizzard, a much bigger game company, which is undergoing unionization. Two AB branches have already voted to join the union, a third is about to vote and two others are in the process of gathering signature cards. To avoid interfering with that election, Microsoft chose to remain neutral in ZeniMax’s.
Computer game employees have been complaining for decades about “crunch time”—working long hours as deadlines approach—and other grievances. They endure grueling stretches of work shortly before a title is released and sometimes they don’t get paid overtime. Many don’t try to unionize because they are hired as freelance artists and feel that suits them, while some get to work remotely, so they feel independent. They are still stuck with management giving them outrageous deadlines that keeps them working overtime for many weeks at a time.
Those who fought to unionize ZeniMax hope to change the company’s approach into one that promotes workers. Game companies often assign workers more responsibility, but it seems they can be arbitrary at times about compensation for the added work. The union also hopes to negotiate more flexible policies on remote work.
Nickelodeon Workers Try to Unionize
Nickelodeon has refused to recognize their production workers who voted to join the Animation Guild, so a vote run by the National Labor Relations Board is being held. Nickelodeon’s animation artists are already represented by the union, but not production managers, production coordinators, and other staff workers. Nickelodeon’s lawyers apparently want to challenge who is and who isn’t qualified to be in the union.
From my own experience years ago, if you were not part of the management/administrative staff, you could vote and join the union, if you won the election for recognition.
Karl F. Cohen—who added his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Mar 13, 2023 - 05:33 PM
by Karl F. Cohen
Animation grunt workers at their posts. photo: unknownMicrosoft Video Game Workers Vote to Join Union
The successful organizing of about 300 employees at Microsoft’s ZeniMax, a game production company with studios in Maryland and Texas, is considered a major victory given the company has been non-union since it was founded. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in 2020, and now it is the first Microsoft division to unionize, represented by the Communications Workers of America.
The unionization move at ZeniMax Media, which Microsoft acquired for about $7.5 billion, did not come about in the usual way, which is a union election run by the National Labor Relations Board. Instead, the company allowed workers to express their preferences by either signing a union authorization card or voting anonymously. Microsoft remained neutral throughout the union campaign and didn’t hold anti-union meetings or sending out messages that many companies do in their attempt to keep out unions.
It turned out that Microsoft is trying to acquire Activision Blizzard, a much bigger game company, which is undergoing unionization. Two AB branches have already voted to join the union, a third is about to vote and two others are in the process of gathering signature cards. To avoid interfering with that election, Microsoft chose to remain neutral in ZeniMax’s.
Computer game employees have been complaining for decades about “crunch time”—working long hours as deadlines approach—and other grievances. They endure grueling stretches of work shortly before a title is released and sometimes they don’t get paid overtime. Many don’t try to unionize because they are hired as freelance artists and feel that suits them, while some get to work remotely, so they feel independent. They are still stuck with management giving them outrageous deadlines that keeps them working overtime for many weeks at a time.
Those who fought to unionize ZeniMax hope to change the company’s approach into one that promotes workers. Game companies often assign workers more responsibility, but it seems they can be arbitrary at times about compensation for the added work. The union also hopes to negotiate more flexible policies on remote work.
Nickelodeon Workers Try to Unionize
Nickelodeon has refused to recognize their production workers who voted to join the Animation Guild, so a vote run by the National Labor Relations Board is being held. Nickelodeon’s animation artists are already represented by the union, but not production managers, production coordinators, and other staff workers. Nickelodeon’s lawyers apparently want to challenge who is and who isn’t qualified to be in the union.
From my own experience years ago, if you were not part of the management/administrative staff, you could vote and join the union, if you won the election for recognition.
Karl F. Cohen—who added his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Mar 13, 2023 - 05:33 PM
