Indie company Tender Claws is the next game studio to unionize

polygon.com:

Another video game studio is unionizing.

Workers at Los Angeles-based indie studio Tender Claws will unionize with the Communications Workers of America’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, workers told Polygon this week. The union will consist of at least 13 workers across several different departments, including both full-time and part-time producers, artists, and programmers. One hundred percent of the bargaining unit supports the effort, workers said.

Tender Claws’ union is called Tender Claws Human Union, a nod to the company’s own game, Virtual Virtual Reality, that features an in-game union for humans that work for AI. “[Virtual Virtual Reality] is very much about the gig economy and worker rights,” Tender Claws 3D artist Liz Walcher told Polygon. “It’s a little silly and tongue in cheek, but we felt that it was too good to pass up.”

Tender Claws workers approached management with a petition on Tuesday, asking for voluntary recognition. “While the signatures aren’t finalized, management has agreed to recognize TCHU-CWA pending a mutually acceptable agreement, and we look forward to working with them,” workers said. Tender Claws Human Union filed its petition with the National Labor Relations Board Friday.

Founded by Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman in 2014, Tender Claws has released a number of unique virtual- and alternate-reality games and experiences. That includes an AR virtual pet that reacts to player expressions in Tendar and surreal virtual reality comedies Virtual Virtual Reality and Virtual Virtual Reality 2. Another recent project from the studio is The Under Presents: Tempest, a live VR “immersive theater experience” based on the Shakespeare play. Tender Claws also published indie camping game