2023 has seen a wave of unionization across the video game industry, with new unions popping up at companies like ZeniMax Media and Sega of America. Now Nintendo of America president Doug Bowswer has commented on the possibility of a union at his company.
In an interview with Inverse, Bowser was asked what role unions might play at NOA in the future. Bowser touted NOA’s success without a union, pointing to its high employee retention rate. “Our focus has always been on creating a culture that’s inclusive, has a work-life balance, and is focused on our singular mission of bringing smiles to faces,” Bowser said.
An inclusive culture creates a great foundation for employees at any workplace, but some still see unions as key to securing better pay, benefits, and treatment from a company. Bowser acknowledged that unions aren’t off the table at NOA. “Everyone has the right to form a union, and certainly in the future, wherever it takes us, we’ll respect that,” Bowser told Inverse.
The state of Nintendo
In April 2022 Kotaku published a report in which former contractors alleged that they were mistreated and never offered a legitimate path to full-time employment. “They want to control you like you’re full-time, but not treat you like a full-time worker,” one contract worker said.
IGN published a similar report in May 2022. Some workers interviewed for the piece complained of “a huge disparity” between themselves and full-time employees. The company has previously faced labor complaints for allegedly cracking down on discussions of unionization.
