Sega of America Employees Plan to Unionise

Employees at the Irvine offices of Sega of America have announced their intention to unionise. The newly-formed Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS) has filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. The unionisation effort includes around 144 employees from various departments, such as QA, marketing, localisation, product development, and live service.

Unionisation Goals

AEGIS has several goals, including higher base pay for all departments, stable benefits such as healthcare, clearer opportunities for advancement, and balanced schedules and adequate staffing to “end patterns of overwork.” They claim that “nearly a third of Sega’s long-time workers still lack full-time status, paid time off, proper training, or even bereavement leave, despite dedicating years of their lives to Sega.”

Collaboration and Future Plans

AEGIS has stated that they have built bridges with fellow workers from across the company to understand shared and unique issues in their quest to reclaim their collective power. The group has also teamed up with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which previously filed unfair labor charges against Activision Blizzard.

While focused on the Irvine, California offices, AEGIS has hinted at future plans, stating, “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Sega branches worldwide.”

Sega Management Response

According to workers who spoke with The Verge, neither Sega of America nor its Japanese parent company has expressed any anti-union sentiments so far. AEGIS has stated that “Our demands are already in line with Sega’s core values” and asks that “leadership recognizes our democratic right to organize without interference.”

Sega management can choose to voluntarily recognize the union or wait for the union election to take place.

In conclusion, Sega of America employees have announced their intention to unionize and have filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. AEGIS’s goal is to improve working conditions and compensation for all employees, and they have teamed up with the CWA to do so. Sega management has not expressed any anti-union sentiments thus far, and AEGIS has stated that their demands are in line with the company’s core values. The group hopes to collaborate with Sega branches worldwide in the future.