The Communications Workers of America union today announced the launch of CODE, the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, a new initiative that will support workers in the tech and game industry who want to organize.
“Companies in the technology and game industries have gotten away with avoiding accountability for far too long,” said CWA president Chris Shelton. “Workers in these industries are exposing the reality behind the rhetoric. This initiative will help tech and game workers reach the next level in their efforts to exercise their right to join together and demand change.”
The colossal growth of the technology sector and the gaming industry both have brought about growing concerns about the treatment of workers. This includes a disconnect between the stated goals of companies and the social impact of their policies.
One such example is Google’s old motto, “Don’t be evil.” Google has been indicted repeatedly now in the press for firing employees who have spoken out about the company’s social impact. In the now-called “Thanksgiving Four” event, Google fired four activist employees for what the company claimed was sharing confidential documents.
Organizers in the company claimed that Google was engaged in union-busting.
CWA is calling on workers and organizers to look at the fact that the tech and gaming industry have seen gaming companies mistreat programmers, artists, and others and recognize that employees at major American tech and gaming companies have become increasingly vocal about anti-worker policies.
These policies and cultural issues include sexual assault and harassment, agism, unequal pay, and stress and burnout-inducing “crunch time.” Increasingly problematic actions also include poor treatment of contract workers, inequity in racial and gender diversity, and controversial contracts with a lack of transparency for employees.
In order to lead this new initiative, CWA hired two highly experienced organizers. Emma Kinema, co-founder of Game Workers Unite, a network of video game workers with chapters all around the world, will take over the West Coast. Wes McEany, a leader in the Fight for 15 organizing campaign will be based on the East Coast.
“Workers in the tech and game industries face unique challenges, and CWA’s expertise taking on massive corporations in the technology, media and telecom sector is a big asset as workers build genuine power to address these challenges,” said Kinema.
The CWA has also established a website at www.code-cwa.org featuring further details and information on the CODE initiative.
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