Bandcamp United accuses Songtradr of labor violations

Bandcamp United, the union representing Bandcamp employees, has lodged accusations of unfair labor practices against Songtradr in a recent filing with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Bandcamp United, the union of Bandcamp employees, has accused Songtradr of unfair labor practices. They filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on October 29. This move follows Epic Games’ announcement of selling Bandcamp to Songtradr in late September, which resulted in the layoff of over half of Bandcamp’s staff, including all eight elected members of Bandcamp’s collective bargaining committee.

The NLRB filing, submitted by OPEIU Tech Local 1010, claims that Songtradr’s failure to offer jobs to the committee members amounts to discrimination based on their labour activities. Rochelle Shipman, a bargaining unit member, expressed her disappointment, stating, “I voted for our collective bargaining committee to represent the needs of my colleagues to Bandcamp management. There has been little transparency from Epic and Songtradr about their decision-making criteria throughout this process, and it’s hard to see how this hiring decision could have been made randomly.”

Despite these allegations, a representative from Songtradr has yet to respond to requests for comments. Typically, the NLRB takes between 7 to 14 weeks to investigate such claims.

The journey towards unionization began in March when Bandcamp workers filed with the NLRB to authorise a union election. Bandcamp United received official recognition in May and commenced negotiations with Epic Games in August. Following Songtradr’s acquisition, Bandcamp United urged the company to acknowledge the union and extend job offers to all Bandcamp employees. In response, a Songtradr spokesperson mentioned the necessity for financial adjustments and pledged severance packages to those not offered positions in the forthcoming weeks, in line with the communication made on September 28.

OPEIU Tech Local 1010 has indicated that the bargaining committee will reconvene with Epic Games management on November 9 to discuss severance arrangements for the terminated employees.

Credits: Bandcamp (https://bandcamp.com/)