The Cellar - View Single Post - Unions: I need an intellegent discussion on their validity

Clodfobble · 04-04-2005, 04:33 PM

In general, I agree that most unions in this day and age are unnecessary bureaucracy.

However, my industry DESPERATELY needs to unionize, to stop the abusive practices by employers. It is quite standard in the videogame industry to work 80-hour weeks for months on end. Royalties don't happen anymore--some companies have bonus programs tied to the sales performance of a game, but that means you must still be working for that company at least a year or more after the game is released.

Not only is turnover between companies stupidly high (it's a joke, people will leave for another company, and then be back six months later, and then over to a third company shortly after) but general industry turnover is also excessive. A study was done by an industry website, and something like 70% of employees said they definitely planned to leave the industry within 5 years. Within 10 years, almost 100%.

Unionizing is actually pretty unlikely. But what is starting to happen is employees are more commonly accepting work on a contract basis. This means hourly pay with time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours a week, no insurance benefits, and the understood loss of your job at the end of your contract, anywhere from one month to 18 months. But the studio managers don't expect--or allow--you to live at the office when they have to pay time-and-a-half for it.

I have had a manager order me to go home at 5:00PM, while in the same breath telling the standard employees that there would be a meeting at 3:00AM. I don't know if a union would be better, but contract work is certainly an improvement.

04-04-2005, 04:33 PM	#11
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	In general, I agree that most unions in this day and age are unnecessary bureaucracy. However, my industry DESPERATELY needs to unionize, to stop the abusive practices by employers. It is quite standard in the videogame industry to work 80-hour weeks for months on end. Royalties don't happen anymore--some companies have bonus programs tied to the sales performance of a game, but that means you must still be working for that company at least a year or more after the game is released. Not only is turnover between companies stupidly high (it's a joke, people will leave for another company, and then be back six months later, and then over to a third company shortly after) but general industry turnover is also excessive. A study was done by an industry website, and something like 70% of employees said they definitely planned to leave the industry within 5 years. Within 10 years, almost 100%. Unionizing is actually pretty unlikely. But what is starting to happen is employees are more commonly accepting work on a contract basis. This means hourly pay with time-and-a-half for anything over 40 hours a week, no insurance benefits, and the understood loss of your job at the end of your contract, anywhere from one month to 18 months. But the studio managers don't expect--or allow--you to live at the office when they have to pay time-and-a-half for it. I have had a manager order me to go home at 5:00PM, while in the same breath telling the standard employees that there would be a meeting at 3:00AM. I don't know if a union would be better, but contract work is certainly an improvement.