{"id":1510,"date":"2019-07-09T06:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T06:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=1510"},"modified":"2019-07-09T04:54:32","modified_gmt":"2019-07-09T04:54:32","slug":"video-game-unions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/video-game-unions","title":{"rendered":"\u2018There\u2019s Been a Massive Shift\u2019: Why Video Game Developers Are Pushing to Unionize"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ken Green
\nCEO\/Founder
\nUnionTrack, Inc<\/a><\/p>\n

Another big wave of unionization is cresting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is growing discontent among video game developers about their working conditions, and this is leading to a call for unionization among workers in that industry.<\/p>\n

Unions, including the AFL-CIO and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), are showing their support and calling for video game developers to stand up to the often strenuous working conditions to which many are subjected. To that end, Liz Shuler<\/a>, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, published an open letter to video game developers in February urging them to unionize.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a moment for change,\u201d Shuler writes. \u201cIt won\u2019t come from CEOs. It won\u2019t come from corporate boards. And, it won\u2019t come from any one person. Change will happen when you gain leverage by joining together in a strong union. And, it will happen when you use your collective voice to bargain for a fair share of the wealth you create every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

There has recently been a stronger effort on the part of video game developers to organize and fight for better working conditions. Shuler\u2019s call to action may prove to be just what those workers needed to find their collective voice.<\/p>\n

The Industry Practices That Have Catalyzed Discontent<\/h2>\n

One of the most controversial issues in video game development is the practice of crunch. Crunch is mandatory overtime, often leading up to the release of a new game. Under this practice, developers are required to work 60- or even 80-hour weeks to meet delivery deadlines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gaming industry critic and writer Steven Wright<\/a> notes that though this practice has long been decried within the industry, it is as prevalent as ever. And it negatively impacts developers\u2019 mental and physical well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, a 2015 Developer Satisfaction Survey by the International Game Developers Association <\/a>(IGDA) found that 62 percent of developers report having to work crunch time, with half of those people working more than 60 hours per week. Seventeen percent work more than 70 hours per week during crunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A whitepaper by Take This<\/a>, a nonprofit group that focuses on the health of developers, details just how detrimental crunch is to workers, who often experience extreme levels of stress, depression and burnout. What\u2019s more, the Take This paper shows just how short-sighted crunch is: Overworking and overstressing developers negatively impacts those game companies\u2019 bottom lines.<\/p>\n

Another issue that has left many workers jaded and angry is the number of recent layoffs in the industry. The last 12 months alone saw a number of major development companies lay off workers or shut down completely:<\/p>\n