Thread by @aetherlev

Feel like I need to signal boost this in solidarity, so here’s the info, writing friends.

This is a game company who just let all their writers go because said writers tried to collectively bargain for better wages.

From what I’m reading, Voltage USA (company who makes Lovestruck the app) hired their writing staff of 21 as freelance contractors under terms that are pretty blatantly disguised as employees without benefits, worked them half to death, and paid them shit wages.

Shit wages = half of industry standard, apparently, and these are mostly folks writing #ownvoices LGBTQ+ content. Looks like that was Loveswept’s niche.

Anyway the writers decided to unionize and bargain for better pay, benefits, etc, as you do. Shoutout to @VOW_Together

In response, Voltage USA decided to try to negotiate individually, which the writers refused.

Voltage USA basically said nooope and kicked all the writers to the curb because they don’t want to recognize @VOW_Together as a real union.

This is all kinds of bullshit and, far as I can tell, breaks a couple of different labour laws in the US. Voltage USA is based in SF so they might have a lawsuit in their future as well - for pretending the writers are contractors when they’re clearly treated like employees...

...and for union-busting. Doesn’t matter that they think @VOW_Together isn’t a union. Collective action is collective action.

Anyway I think all of us in Romancelandia and the Genre Empire should support our fellow game writers

The game industry is a colossal clusterfuck of this kind of thing (PS follow @JimSterling for more on c-triple-AAApitalism) and unionization IS coming no matter how much the companies squirm and flail against it.

Our support will helpfully make it happen faster and with less people getting hurt.

Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains and all that ✊ happy Tuesday everyone