It can't all be bad news all the time! Yesterday, 144 workers at Sega of America chose to unionize in a majority vote, and are now asking for voluntary recognition from the company. Unions are gradually beginning to catch on in the games industry, and this move follows similar efforts from Blizzard and Zenimax employees – for the best, given how outright hostile the industry can be to those working within it. The Sega union, calling themselves AEGIS-CWA, has put forth the following goals:
- Higher base pay for all, following industry standards, with raises tied to the cost of living and inflation.
- Improved, stable benefits for all, including healthcare, retirement, remote work opportunities, and more.
- Increased, clearly outlined opportunities for advancement.
- Balanced workloads and schedules, and defined responsibilities for all positions.
- Adequate staffing of departments to end patterns of overwork.
Seems reasonable to me, although given the popularity of crunch and inhumane hours to meet tight deadlines, whether or not Sega management will agree to it is anyone's guess.
