Unioners - Help me feel empathy for you.
Here's why I think unionizing in the game industry is ridiculous and feel nothing for those that want it: 1) best perks in tech. Many companies have free food, gym, amazing health care and benefits, health services, vacation planning services, and high bonuses upon unexpected success 2) crunch is culture and if you don't like it, move companies. not every game company crunches. Take one of your ideas and make your own game company. Work from within your company to improve planning structure to avoid crunch. 3) unions were originally formed because coal miners were paid in currency issued by their employer (mine tokens) that they could only use at a company shop to buy shitty goods. This vertical integration crushed the worker and extremely unsafe conditions caused death upon death until people got sick of it. I don't see anybody dying for working 60 hour weeks now and then. I want to understand you, I really do, but I just don't get it. Maybe I'm too old.
Amen
Amen. I'd never agree to a union.
I'm against unionizing in the game industry. Think about the additional costs for a new game studio. They're already cash constrained, why add any more burden. Compensation in the game industry is also lower (on average), how is it in our best interest to reduce our pay even more? Studies ago show that productivity is lower in unionized environments. I think that those people behind this movement stand to profit quite a bit from this. That profit comes at the expense of creativity and ability to create new games.
1) Games doesn't have the best perks in tech, not even close. A couple game companies are on par with top tech companies in their area, but compensation of all types are worse in games on average. 2) this is some bootlicker nonsense. I've watched a lot of good engineers fail to get better and do worse work because they never have time for personal development. It contributes to the precariousness of employment in games. Every other tech company is knife fighting over seniors but game companies will replace them with recent grads because crunch ensures your experience separates you from Juniors less than in other sectors. 3) Mine workers in the mid 20th century got pay and perks on par with modern tech and felt no shame about bargaining. If you're not unionizing, you're robbing your family to pay your boss.
You and I live in a different world. If you don't unionize you are robbing your family and perks are worse than 20th century miners? You must have crack as a benefit at your employer.
I said that perks are worse than other tech companies. Overwork can effect vision though.
LOL unions
Unions are for those seeking to maximize wlb and want to cruise. When you kill productivity, your industry as a whole suffers and your competitors take over your market share. If you want to maximize TC, unions will hammer down the nail that sticks up. Wherever I work, I hope my competitors unionize 😀, that way there is a place for everyone, and I can keep raising my TC.
I'm in a Union and those against it have no idea what you're missing. Keep being stressed and underpaid with no benefits or power to negotiate your salaries for you and your teams. This thread is sad.
This is Blind. It sounds like you are happy with your union, so what is your TC?
Pretty happy with my comp, thank you. I've also had the ability to negotiate my rates, based on my skills and performance. I make more than others because of this. I'm not an 'average joe' who just phones it in. If I was, is be all over a union.
"best perks in tech." I need you to back this up a bit more, from what I've seen this is no where near true. Big traditional software companies typically destroy game studios in salary, stock, health packages, and misc. perks, and so on. But maybe I am wrong, so I would like you to elaborate
Maybe it's just Riot. But the perks here are incredible
Yeah riot is a hard outlier - easily Google level - and they like to hire from outside the game industry so people who work there might have the wrong idea
1) Would those perks go away? Just saying "hey things are pretty good" isn't really an argument against unionizing. What happens when those perks start to disappear? Who will fight to get them back? 2) crunch is culture because workers have to accept it at many places because the other option is "if you don't like it, you can leave." Which isn't really a productive way to solve problems. If the only option was "well this is how it is so either live with it or leave" problems would never get solved. Unionizing is one possible solution to things like this. 3) this is a non-sequiter and isn't really worth talking about. "things used to be so much worse" is also not a productive way to solve problems. I'm not saying unionizing is the right or best way to solve these problems. I think in a skilled labor force where talent is in demand the conditions tend to be better because companies know that workers have other options. Things also don't have to be a dystopia labor camp for people to unite their efforts in solving their company's problems.
If those perks go away, they go away--they were, well, perks of the job, not an inalienable right. This already happened with unlocked accounts. If a perk is a deal breaker for you, then advocate for it but also be prepared to move on. I'm sympathetic to folks wanting to improve their workplace, but I'll echo op, maybe I'm too old, but I say view with your feet and move on. As a tech/knowledge worker, you've a vast sea of opportunities that many can only dream of.
America seems to have forgotten you can move and get a new job any time with people and policies you enjoy more. It's in the data: https://slate.com/business/2018/06/americans-are-moving-less-often-than-ever.html