Like workers at many other gaming and entertainment websites, writers at IGN have suffered from layoffs and low pay. However, IGN staffers are fighting back with a time-honored tradition.
Today, editorial and creative workers at IGN voted to unionize with the Communication Workers of America NewsGuild, under the newly-formed IGN Creators Guild. NewsGuild-CWA covers journalists and other writers across the U.S.
IGN workers voted to unionize with an 87% supermajority, and are now waiting for IGN‘s parent company Ziff Davis to recognize the union. “IGN is an incredible place to work,” senior reporter Rebekah Valentine said in a statement sent to the press. “But so many of the talented creators that make it so incredible need more support than they’re currently getting, especially when it comes to competitive pay and adequate time off. And at a time when our industry faces so much uncertainty amid mass layoffs and the rise of generative AI, it’s more important than ever for us to ensure IGN remains a great place to work not just today, but for the future IGN that doesn’t exist yet.”
Editor Amelia Emberwing noted that unionizing is also crucial for equity and diversity. “I love my job, but working with company-sponsored initiatives has only highlighted just how far we have to go when it comes to giving women and people of color a spot at the table,” Emberwing said.
The IGN Creators Guild’s mission statement makes its priorities clear:
We need fair and competitive pay for all, including those who are asked to live and work in some of the most expensive cities in the United States; affordable health insurance; and better diversity, equity, and inclusion across the board. We need protection against layoffs amid a hectic media landscape, guarantees of reasonable compensation when those layoffs cannot be avoided, as well as protections against generative AI and similar technologies. We need to be supported in reclaiming necessary rest time when we work long, unavoidable extra hours covering major events and releases. We also need clear paths for career growth, including management training to ensure our team leaders are both supportive and effective. And we must avoid future mismanaged pivots and reorgs, as well as address the ethical editorial concerns that have grown with the acquisition of sponsorship-focused subsidiaries.
IGN‘s unionization is a response to a devastating trend in journalism and digital media, with over 17,000 journalists and other professionals being laid off in 2023. Last month, for instance, The Los Angeles Times laid off more than 20% of its newsroom. Last year, Buzzfeed shut down its news division entirely.
But IGN is by no means the first organization to fight for workers’ rights over the past year. In the entertainment industry, for instance, VFX departments at Marvel and Disney both formed unions. The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought writers and actors increased job security and fair pay.
The moral of the story? If you want a fair deal, the labor movement’s got your back.
(featured image: IGN/gleitfrosch/Getty Images/TMS)
