According to reports, a Nintendo of America contract employee was fired after he mentioned unionization in a meeting. This incident allegedly led the gaming giant to file a labor complaint alleging that it violated the NLRA.
In an expose by KotakuFollowing the filing of the case, 10 former and current employees spoke out to the outlet. They felt exploited at their company.
They shared a number of concerns, including the concern that talking about working conditions could lead to retaliation.
A current contractor stated that “the general feeling is that you’ll be punished for being outspoken on every level.”
The report also highlights the many differences that temporary staff often encounter when compared to full-timers.
Sources told the site that part timer pay is $16 an hour, with a few receiving as high as $20. Nintendo of America’s headquarters is in Redmond Washington. SeattleIt was ranked 15th in Kiplinger’s Top 10 Most Expensive US Cities last year.
Temporary staff also have what is known as unique employment cycles. Sources say that staff agencies would give them 11-month contracts, with a mandatory break of two months.
The report also stated that contractors would be expected, despite these disparities to be as productive and productive as their full-time colleagues. This would include signing up to work overtime.
Kotaku was told by a source that overtime was difficult to oppose because “our Japanese counterparts will do more so we need to match what they do.”
Kotaku has also published a companion article today about contractors who work for an external company at one of Nintendo’s US Joy-Con repair centres.
The report described a highly demanding workplace with high repair requirements that didn’t change despite the number of Joy-Cons needed to be repaired or the number of workers available to do the repairs.
