Bandcamp has at all times been referred to as an artist-friendly various to streaming providers like Spotify, the place you should buy music instantly from the musicians themselves. Now, staff on the Epic-owned on-line audio distributor wish to make sure 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 staff 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 staff are composed of help employees, designers, engineers, writers and different roles throughout the platform.
Apparently, Bandcamp’s personnel have been quietly engaged on their organizing efforts since final summer time. They finally determined to affix Tech Employees Union Native 1010 of the Workplace and Skilled Staff Worldwide Union, which is identical group that helped full-time Kickstarter workers set up again in 2020. Primarily based on the mission assertion written on Bandcamp United’s web site, the group goals to repair pay disparities and promote “equitable situations and financial stability.” They wish to ensure that staff have entry to paid day off and that their salaries “will develop to fulfill financial necessity.”
Rolling Stone says they’re additionally trying to tackle 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, informed the publications that administration is “conscious that some… workers are in search of to arrange 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 accepted.