Employees for crowdfunding firm Kickstarter have voted to unionise.
As reported by Vice, the new union has been formed with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPIEU) - the local 153 division. When it came to the vote, 46 were for a union, 37 were against it.
"Today we learned that in a 46 to 37 vote, our staff has decided to unionize," said Kickstarter CEO Aziz Hasan in a statement.
"We support and respect this decision, and we are proud of the fair and democratic process that got us here. We’ve worked hard over the last decade to build a different kind of company, one that measures its success by how well it achieves its mission: helping to bring creative projects to life.
"Our mission has been common ground for everyone here during this process, and it will continue to guide us as we enter this new phase together."
Kickstarter has joined 100,000 other white-collar employees represented by OPIEU. The company has become the first tech firm in the US to fully unionise.
A former employee - Clarissa Redwine - spoke to Vice. She was a Kickstarter United organiser who was fired last September. The unionisation efforts first began in March 2019.
“Everyone was crying when the results were announced,” said Redwine.
“I thought it would be close, but I also knew we were going to win. I hope other tech workers feel emboldened and know that it’s possible to fight for your workplace and your values. I know my former coworkers will use a seat at the table really well."
OPIEU issued an announcement, in which it expressed its desire to work with Kickstarter United to get "transparency from management, guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, implementing more inclusive hiring practices and giving employees a voice in the decision-making process."
“The tech sector represents a new frontier for union organizing, and OPEIU is excited to represent one of the first tech groups to successfully win collective bargaining rights and to be part of the labour movement’s efforts to improve the livelihoods of tech employees everywhere,” said OPEIU president and OPEIU Local 153 business manager Richard Lanigan.
Unionisation has been a growing concern in the games industry. Last month, one of the largest unions in the US - the Communications Workers of America - launched a new campaign to unionise the industry.
Earlier this month, Nexon Korea granted a 6.8 per cent pay rise for its employees after union talks. It will come into effect in 2020.
