Bandcamp’s employees are forming a union

Bandcamp has at all times been generally known as an artist-friendly various to streaming companies like Spotify, the place you should buy music straight from the musicians themselves. Now, employees on the Epic-owned on-line audio distributor need to be certain that they’re handled in addition to its creators by forming a union referred to as Bandcamp United. In keeping with Rolling Stone and TechCrunch, a majority of employees are in favor of unionizing, and all 62 of its non-managerial and non-supervisory personnel within the US will make up its bargaining unit. These 62 employees are composed of help workers, designers, engineers, writers and different roles throughout the platform. 

Apparently, Bandcamp’s personnel have been quietly engaged on their organizing efforts since final summer season. They finally determined to affix Tech Employees Union Native 1010 of the Workplace and Skilled Staff Worldwide Union, which is similar group that helped full-time Kickstarter employees organize again in 2020. Based mostly on the mission assertion written on Bandcamp United’s website, the group goals to repair pay disparities and promote “equitable circumstances and financial stability.” They need to be sure that employees have entry to paid break day and that their salaries “will develop to satisfy financial necessity.”

Rolling Stone says they’re additionally seeking to deal with administration’s lack of transparency after Epic’s takeover final 12 months. Employees had been reportedly requested to signal new employment contracts when the Fortnite developer acquired the platform, they usually got a restricted period of time to evaluation its phrases with no room for negotiations. 

Ethan Diamond, Bandcamp’s CEO, advised the publications that administration is “conscious that some… workers are looking for to prepare a union and [is] reviewing the petition to grasp their issues.” Bandcamp United has already filed for a petition with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to manage a union election and can maintain one to make issues official as soon as it will get authorized.