The Communications Workers of America is seeking to unionize tech and video game workers

[doctorow]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/09/no-more-crunch.html

…

[lumbercartel]

@doctorow

Two fulltime CWA staffers are charged with assisting tech and game company union organizers.

Wait – WHA!!!

I know the Candian governments are following the US to the far right, but … what?

(Then I figured out that “charged” was in the sense of “assigned.” Had me for a while, though.)

[GulliverFoyle]

PGPs: procedurally generated pitchforks.

[jandrese]

This is probably overdue. Conditions for developers in some game companies have been infamously deplorable for decades.

[gracchus]

I hope that tech workers are finally getting over the delusion that they’re “too good” for unions. For people who are supposed to be good at math, they spend a lot of time bragging about their annual salaries and elite skills without stopping to consider how eternal crunch time translates their hourly rate into something closer to service industry wages.

And then those same iron-man brogrammers who never learned what “The Mythical Man Month” is get promoted, perpetuating the managerial incompetence for another cycle.

[SpeedRacer]

If I could get to a place in life where I can be fired without it hurting too much, I will become a union organizer.

I do not believe for one second my employer will not retaliate, and I do not believe for one second the gov’t will provide any meaningful protection.

Which is exactly why we need unions.

[Shuck]

@jandrese

This is probably overdue

Very much so.

@jandrese

Conditions for developers in some game companies have been infamously deplorable for decades.

Since the beginning, pretty much. As soon as developers go beyond the “group of friends operating out of a garage” level, conditions tend to get bad, quick. (Often they weren’t good before that, but they were just friends operating out of a garage, so…)

@gracchus

I hope that tech workers are finally getting over the delusion that they’re “too good” for unions

Yep. Also game developers need to get over the delusion that they’re tech workers. Programmers may be able to move back and forth between industries, but they’re the only ones, and no one is getting tech worker salaries. Also, people get hired for what seems like a regular salaried corporate desk job, but sometimes employment only ends up lasting until the game is finished, so it’s more like the movie industry where you’re hired for a specific project. The problem is, nothing is set up that way - bonuses are premised on employment milestones that employees aren’t allowed to reach, and workers are unemployed a lot, forced to move around to find new work and without benefits in between jobs.

@gracchus

And then those same iron-man brogrammers who never learned what “The Mythical Man Month” is get promoted, perpetuating the managerial incompetence for another cycle.

That part’s the same as the tech industry, at least.

[gracchus]

@Shuck

so it’s more like the movie industry where you’re hired for a specific project.

True, and that’s one reason that the film industry, from the gaffers and best boys right through to the directors and movie stars, is one of the most heavily unionised ones in America.

[Wanderfound]

@gracchus

the film industry, from the gaffers and best boys right through to the directors and movie stars, is one of the most heavily unionised ones in America.

…which is not unrelated to why they were hammered during the second Red Scare.