"This is a blatant, unapologetic act of vicious union busting" - Hundreds of Rockstar employees sign letter to management, demanding fired colleagues get reinstated

https://www.eurogamer.net/this-is-a-blatant-unapologetic-act-of-vicious-union-busting-hundreds-of-rockstar-employees-sign-letter-to-management-demanding-fired-colleagues-get-reinstated

602 points · 33 comments · view on lemmy.world

33 Comments

atro_city@fedia.io · 88 pts · 290d (8 replies)

Why don't they join the union?

big_slap@lemmy.world · 49 pts · 290d (6 replies)

because they're scared

atro_city@fedia.io · 82 pts · 290d (1 reply)

I mean, if you sign a letter, you're on the shitlist already. Might as well join the union if you're going to get canned anyway.

big_slap@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 290d

true

AntiBullyRanger@ani.social · 1 pts · 288d (3 replies)

of what?

I_Jedi@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 288d (2 replies)

When you lose your job in the US, you lose your health insurance. You're screwed if you need an operation done when you're unemployed. And people in a union tend to be the first to go for talking back.

AntiBullyRanger@ani.social · 0 pts · 287d (1 reply)

You Latinos need to cease with your US centricism.
The fired employees have sparringly tied healthcare not beholden to investors.

I_Jedi@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 287d

I'm a Latino? How exciting!

MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 289d

I don't think the union was official yet, i think they were discussing unionising

yermaw@sh.itjust.works · 36 pts · 290d (7 replies)

Prospects must be dire to want to get back into a company that would (and definitely would because they did) do that.

uninvitedguest@piefed.ca · 46 pts · 290d (2 replies)

I can't speak for the USA, but typically in Canada (Ontario) people would not want to return to the employer but force a greater settlement.

Also, in Ontario, an employer that is found to be union busting would result in automatic certification of the union - no vote needed.

MurrayL@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 290d (1 reply)

No need to speak for the USA, Rockstar North is British

uninvitedguest@piefed.ca · 18 pts · 290d

Which I would have learned earlier had I read the article!

astreus@lemmy.ml · 21 pts · 290d (3 replies)

Video game worker here. I used to get 5-15 inMails a week offering me an interview. This year? 2. In total. The industry is brutal right now.

CosmoNova@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 290d (2 replies)

It‘s also an industry full of enthusiasts with a passion for what they do. Well mostly. I don‘t have to tell you how much that gets exploited. The workers who got the boot over joining a union actually seemed interested in returning to office again in interviews, though not without joining a union first.

jpeps@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 289d

Yeah I mean can you imagine working on a big contender for the game of the decade, and being kicked out at the final hurdle?

Coelacanth@feddit.nu · 2 pts · 289d

Same story for almost every passion industry. I remember being surprised at first to learn how underpaid Formula 1 engineers are when some of them are literal rocket scientists, for example.

Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works · 33 pts · 289d (3 replies)

Am I the only one who is pro union but kind of surprised that people are surprised by rockstar’s actions?

It’s a big company in the fucking gaming industry, I’ve always heard it’s very anti labour. Maybe the times are changing though…

BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 289d

I am not sure anybody is surprised, but I am happy to see so much solidarity.

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 289d

I'm surprised by the amount of worker solidarity which is very uplifting.

meisterah@ttrpg.network · 0 pts · 289d

I think you should lower your standards for people going forward.

You will be surprised less often that way.

explodicle@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 290d (10 replies)

This is literally the only way I'll ever buy another Rockstar game.

AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 289d (9 replies)

Why? Even if it goes through, they've already shown their colours.

explodicle@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 289d

A company with a union that has been tested is better than one with no union. I have no faith that other companies would be better unless forced.

ILoveUnions@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 289d (6 replies)

Unions can make even horrible companies treat their workers with decency... Or at least pay them for the bad treatment. Shop union.

AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 289d (5 replies)

You misunderstand, I'm all for hiring them back. I'm saying that shouldn't change his boycott of rockstar

ILoveUnions@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 289d

I understood. I'm saying there's a whole lot less reason to boycott if they become union

explodicle@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 289d (3 replies)

If they cave to the union and make this right, then I won't care how nice they are. Them being forced to be nice matters a lot more.

AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 289d (2 replies)

They're still a horrible company in many ways. Forcing them to be better in this one aspect doesn't change the fact they're shitty

explodicle@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 289d (1 reply)

I'm not boycotting them because they're shitty. I'm boycotting in solidarity with their union.

AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 289d

Fair enough

BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 289d

You don't understand his deep need to play Rockstar games

melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 288d

Get around this by passing fucking laws people. The law has for too long favoured the rich and powerful over the forces that create the wealth (the people). You don't need unions if you are protected by law. Skip the middle man. No salesman will enter your home. I'm only pro-union until the laws catch up (but they never seem to, right?).