A report from Axios states that an unnamed worker has filed a complaint against Nintendo of America, claiming that the company has interfered with the worker’s attempt at unionizing. The filing is through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and alleges that Nintendo of America and global hiring firm Aston Caster were part of “concerted activities” and “coercive actions,” interfering with the employee’s legally protected rights.
The exact claims on what happened between the employee and Nintendo aren’t clear within the filing, since the public documentations only list out broad charges. These allegations indicate that Nintendo and Aston Caster were likely part of unsanctioned surveillance, threats, retaliation, and possible layoffs.
Related: Activision Blizzard acquisition will not affect unionization efforts, says Microsoft
Nintendo of America is based in Redmond, Washington, and is considered to be a division of the main Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo of America has used Aston Carter to recruit customer service and administrative contractors for the company. Axios was not able to get a response from either Nintendo or Aston Caster at the time the report was published.
Nintendo has rarely been in the spotlight and scrutiny when it comes to workplace issues. Unions have become a growing point of discussion lately in the world of gaming, as there isn’t much of a precedent for established organized labor in the industry. There has been more movement though, with numerous workers at Activision Blizzard starting their attempts to unionize.
