In a seminal victory for the video game industry’s labor movement, the employees at Sega of America have won their bid to unionize, marking a momentous milestone in the escalating campaign for improved working conditions, fair pay, as well as proper employee representation in the industry. The decision, following a year-long campaign spearheaded by the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA), was greeted with jubilant enthusiasm as the workforce at one of gaming’s iconic companies voted “yes” to form their first union.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the U.S. government agency responsible for enforcing labor laws, counted the mail-in votes on Monday, with a significant 91 votes for the union out of 117 counted, and only 26 against, underlining the collective desire for change. AEGIS, now partnered with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), will represent over 200 workers in diverse departments across the company. This diversity makes AEGIS-CWA the largest multi-department union of organized workers in the entire gaming industry.
The union encompasses various departments such as brand marketing, games as a service, localization, marketing services, product development, sales, and quality assurance. It’s significant to note that Sega of America is the first company to form a union that spans across multiple departments, showcasing a major shift in the industry landscape. Previously, unionization efforts in the gaming industry were predominantly led by QA workers and indie studios. However, Sega’s decision to form a union might just inspire other departments and companies to follow suit.
The driving force behind this campaign, according to AEGIS-CWA member and Sega translator Ángel Gómez, is the shared deep-seated care for their work at Sega. This collective sentiment fueled their efforts to protect the aspects of their jobs they love, strengthen job security, and enhance benefits and pay for all workers. It’s an inspiring victory that underscores a widespread industry desire to raise standards for all workers.
The move to unionize didn’t transpire without challenges. Notably, Sega management had declined to voluntarily recognize the union and allegedly engaged in practices aimed to spread fear and misinformation among its employees. Nonetheless, the resolve of the employees stood firm, overcoming these obstacles to achieve their goal.
AEGIS-CWA’s objectives reach beyond just establishing a union. The group aims to negotiate higher base pay, secure stable benefits, and push for adequate staffing levels to mitigate overwork patterns, all while seeking clearer role responsibilities and remote work options. Their goals resonate with the broader issues prevalent in the gaming industry, such as excessive crunch, low pay, and workplace discrimination.
This historic move by Sega of America is reflective of a wider trend of unionization within the gaming industry, which began two years ago when the now-defunct indie studio Vodeo Games announced its union. Since then, unions have gradually formed across the industry, from small indie studios to large corporations. Other gaming industry unions in the U.S. include those at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios, Activision Blizzard’s Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, and VR/AR indie developer Tender Claws.
The victory sends a message of hope to game workers everywhere and a clear challenge to companies: listen to employees or face the prospect of unionization.
This fight is a testament to the power of collective bargaining and an inspiration to other gaming workers around the globe.
In recent news, SEGA found itself cast in a relatively negative light when older emails surfaced of it claiming that it could confidently beat Sony back in the 90s. We all know how this turned out, but it provides an interesting glimpse into the very different gaming market of the time. Also, the company all but confirmed that Persona 3 Reload will sell for a higher price when it comes out on all platforms – except for the Nintendo Switch.
