Workers at SEGA of America are holding a union election later this week, the latest in a wave of organizing across the video game industry. The members of MTD-affiliated CWA Local 9150, calling themselves AEGIS-CWA, are fighting for increased wages, better benefits, and healthier limits on shift scheduling.
“Overwork and underpay” has for too long been the guiding mantra in the video game business, where mandatory overtime and skipped meals are commonplace strategies to hit tight deadlines. In April, the 144 employees who formed AEGIS announced to the world that SEGA would no longer be a host for such exploitative practices.
Over two hundred workers from SEGA of America’s Burbank and Irvine offices in California will cast their ballots by mail starting on June 16th for formal recognition. Although SEGA of America declined to voluntarily recognize the union, AEGIS has urged the company to remain neutral as they exercise their right to unionize.
AEGIS calls upon the recent example of ZeniMax Workers United, who put out a joint statement with Microsoft acknowledging that the company would remain neutral back in January of this year. AEGIS has asked that supporters sign and circulate a petition to management urging their neutrality. The link for the petition can be found here.
The Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO, wishes success for our union siblings at AEGIS.