The employees of the influential crowdfunding platform Kickstarter have voted to form a union. The decision ends months of conflict at the small New York-based technology company, and lifts a veil of uncertainty from hundreds of creators who regularly use the platform to fund tabletop games and video games.
The announcement was made this morning by organizers at Kickstarter United, who tweeted out a picture of beaming employees celebrating their win. Last year Kickstarter management refused to voluntarily recognize the union, forcing a formal vote by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The final tally was relatively close.
“Today we learned that in a 46 to 37 vote, our staff has decided to unionize,” Kickstarter CEO Aziz Hasan said in a statement provided to Polygon. “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, which formally launched in 2009, has become a hub for the expanding tabletop games industry, which includes board games, role-playing games, and card games. Together with video games, the gaming category as a whole now accounts for more than one third of Kickstarter’s total backer revenue.
In September the firing of several labor organizers prompted hundreds of game creators to sign a petition in support of Kickstarter United. Several prominent crowdfunding campaigns were delayed due to those firings, and many creators have since elected to include a statement of support for the union. Today’s announcement alleviates some of those issues. Meanwhile, complaints related to those firings are still pending with the NLRB.
Most importantly, however, is the fact that Kickstarter is the first modern technology company in America to vote to form a union.
“It’s been a long journey, but now the real work is ahead of us,” Kickstarter United said in a tweet. “And to all tech and creative workers looking to fight for your rights, this is only just the beginning!”
