IGN Unionizes!
The famous video game news service forms a union in a powerful statement for worker solidarity.
A new union blossoms inside IGN! While workers elsewhere in the country face brutal reprisals for attempting to unionize, IGN’s parent company voluntarily agreed to the creation of a new union!
Ziff Davis (the company that owns IGN), voluntarily recognized the nearly 90% vote from IGN employees to establish a union through NewsGuild-CWA.
At a time when massive layoffs are sweeping the nation, union recognition across the country is on the rise. Despite decades of concentrated anti-union efforts from big-name employers, workers are finally taking back control of their lives.
The IGN Creators Guild, representing the editorial and creative staff at IGN, marked a significant victory in their quest for a fair work environment by securing voluntary recognition from Ziff Davis management on February 22nd.
An overwhelming show of national solidarity accompanied the efforts of IGN workers to unionize, with over 5,700 petition signatures supporting their cause.
The guild celebrated this milestone with a February 26th Twitch stream, highlighting the advantages of unionization in sectors such as tech, video gaming, and journalism, and sparking conversations around the importance of collective bargaining in all modern industries.
Research from the Economic Policy Institute highlights the importance of unionization, showing that the benefits of strong unions improve both local communities and the democratic health of our entire nation.
States with higher union density exhibit superior economies, have higher minimum wages, median incomes, enhanced health coverage, and more inclusive labor laws.
Moreover, regions with strong unions enjoy a more vibrant democratic process, characterized by less restrictive voting laws. At a time when it’s more important than ever for every single American to get out and vote, this underscores the crucial role unions play in a just society.
Ultimately, unions don’t only champion fair labor practices, they contribute to the broader societal good by promoting economic equality, healthcare access, and democratic participation.
IGN’s new union won’t just benefit the workers in the video game industry, but people and communities around the country. Let’s hope this is just the first of many such unions to form in the months and years to come.