2023 Rates and Conditions Study
Knowing our worth is an essential step towards building a more sustainable Games industry.
IATSE is conducting a study on the rates and conditions of Game Workers, and the more of us that participate, the more representative the study will be.
WHO WE ARE
We are game workers joining with our entertainment colleagues to form RPG-IATSE. Rights & Protections for Gameworkers (RPG-IATSE) is a new effort by the IATSE, the largest entertainment union in the US & Canada.
For over 125 years, the IATSE has worked with the largest names in the entertainment industry, including Sony, Disney and Warner Media to hold them accountable for fair treatment of their workers.
Now it’s our turn to gain the rights and protections almost every other entertainment worker has!
— Peter Lazarski
— Chrissy Fellmeth
CONTACT AN ORGANIZER
* Submissions to this form are strictly confidential
News:
WHY UNIONIZE?
The IATSE was built by freelancers in the entertainment industry who faced long, unpredictable hours, precarious employment and health care, and pay that didn’t reflect their contribution to the industry. Over the years the IATSE has brought workers together from all corners of the industry to fight and win:
- Portable benefits including health care, pension/annuity, and training funds that are consistent from employer to employer
- Fair pay and royalties to compensate workers contribution to the art that they help produce
- Advocating for and enforcing fair standards and protections for workers that can be applied throughout the industry
Only a union has the legal power to negotiate on equal footing with employers and the ability to codify the benefits won in a binding contract.
IATSE has the industry experience to win major gains on crunch, continuous health coverage and other important issues for game workers. Following are some examples of game industry issues, and how the IATSE has been able to address them in film, tv, and theater.
Some Rights and Protections IATSE has won on:
Working around the clock? No overtime?
IATSE HAS WON:
Fair Overtime Pay
A defined number of hours off before you’re expected back at work
Paid rides home or hotel room to ensure your safety
Arbitrary pay scale? Lack of transparency for raises and promotions?
IATSE HAS WON:
Negotiated pay raises
Transparent processes
Retention incentive
Reduced or no health benefits because you’re temporary or a contractor?
IATSE HAS WON:
Industry-wide portable benefits plans (health, pension/annuity, training)
Healthcare moves with you from employer to employer, continuous coverage
Worried about layoffs after crunch? Worried about overnight studio closings?
IATSE HAS WON:
Negotiated impact of layoffs on affected employees
Accountability for non-discrimination in layoffs
Preference in re-hiring
Concerned about harassment and discrimination in the workplace?
IATSE HAS WON:
Provided representation and advocacy in discrimination cases
Negotiated stronger protections for LGBTQ folks beyond what local and federal law requires
Won pay parity for historically non-male job classifications
Crediting policies confusing, unfair, or non-existent? The typical NDA hinders your career progress?
IATSE HAS WON:
Labor management workgroups that can address important issues like crediting policies and NDAs.
Only offered a contract position but want to be eligible for unemployment, health care or workers’ comp?
IATSE HAS WON:
Strong protections and enforcement to stop employers from abusing contract employees and freelancers
Anything that is a term or condition of employment—that people in your studio want to address—is fair game for bargaining.
IATSE HAS WON:
Improved safety standards and enforcement—currently working on “safe return to work” standards with epidemiologists to protect workers returning to productions during COVID-19
Working on diversity in the hiring pipeline
Advocating for new work-from-home policies & support
FORMING A UNION
This is a very brief overview. Contact us for more information (see below).
Forming a Union
A union is a group of workers getting together to improve working conditions in their workplace and industry. Under US labor law, once a majority of employees in a workplace demonstrate they want a union, either by signing cards saying they want a union or voting for a union, a union is formed at their workplace. Canadian labor law is similar, though in some provinces, workers don’t need to go through a second demonstration of support, the way they often do in the US.
After Forming a Union—Negotiations
After forming a union, game workers:
- Democratically elect a bargaining committee from their co-workers to negotiate with the employer
- Survey everyone in the workplace on what kind of things they’d like to see improved and how
- Vote to ratify the contract
The elected bargaining committee, helped by experienced IATSE staff, works to negotiate to achieve the best result that they can. When they feel they have good results, they present the tentative contract to the members at the workplace to vote on. Once members at that workplace vote to ratify their contract, it goes into effect, codifying the wages, benefits, and other working conditions. It is only after the contract is ratified that membership dues would start.
Creating a Local Union
Generally around this same time, the new members also join or create a local union under the umbrella of the IATSE. Within the IATSE, a local union is broader than just a workplace, and is geared to bringing various workplaces together to advocate for improvements across an industry. For example, The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839 represents animation artists, writers and technicians in film and tv, and the Arts & Cultural Workers Union (ACWU), IATSE Local B778, represents visual artists and art industry employees in British Columbia, Canada.
If RPG-IATSE becomes its own local, we would democratically elect our local union leadership. The local membership would decide what our local membership dues are in addition to the international dues prescribed by the IATSE Constitution (currently $57 a quarter). And, of course, we’d be eligible for the rights and protections being part of the biggest union in entertainment entails.
Freelancers
Freelancers employed directly by a studio would be eligible to participate in forming a union and negotiating a contract the same as any other employee. For freelancers or contractors in other employment relationships, please contact us below to give us more details about your situation.
How to form a union:
NOTE: This page focuses on how to unionize in the United States. Click here to visit our Canadian website.
Contact us for more information (see below).
1. Talk to your coworkers
Do you share common concerns about your jobs? Is your employer unwilling to discuss or rectify your concerns? If so, a union may help.
2. Contact an Organizer
A union organizer can help strategize and educate you and your coworkers about the process. Click here to reach out to one.
3. Build Support
In most private sector workplaces, U.S. federal labor law guarantees employees the right to talk to your coworkers about unionizing and other workplace issues, such as pay.
4. Vote!
When a majority of coworkers support joining together, workers typically sign confidential authorization cards to indicate their support. Your employer may voluntarily recognize the union through a "card check" by a neutral third party. If your boss does not agree to a card check or voluntarily recognize the union, we will file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to request a secret ballot union election.
