More and more unions are popping up across America. And for business leaders, this kind of traction can only spell trouble. But for Reggie Fils-Aime, gaming industry unions are just another issue that companies have to overcome.
In April, Christian Smalls formed the historic Amazon Labor Union, the first in the company’s history. Consequently, Starbucks workers have now unionized a hundred stores as of May. Add to that, several other unions have popped up for workers in the media sector.
So it’s not exactly a surprise that a union has formed in the gaming industry. Last month, the game developer giant Raven Software voted to unionize their workers. But gaming CEOs are not exactly warmed up to the idea of recognizing these yet.
Former Nintendo head speaks out about gaming industry unions
A former Nintendo American boss has spoken up about his stance on gaming industry unions. Reggie Fils-Aime, who left Nintendo in 2019, called for leaders to work past their hostility to workers’ unions. Instead of viewing this as a negative, he believes that leaders should treat this as another issue to be solved.
He even said that for most industries, the push to form unions is a “good thing,” Having worked in companies wherein forming a union was a norm, Fils-Aime sees gaming industry unions as a chance for learning rather than an attempt to put the business at risk.
In fact, he believes that forming unions can help push for fairer work policies and better conditions.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Fils-Aime relayed, “You need to manage just like any other challenge, issue, or opportunity that you face.”
Who is Reggie Fil-Aime?
Reggie Fils-Aime is a long-time businessman most popular for his work in the gaming industry. He is well known for being the chief operating officer of the Nintendo of America.
In this position, he steered the company’s helm for more than a decade, starting in 2006. In fact, he is one of the primary reasons why the company had a boost in popularity in the early 2000s. Before that, though, he was previously the company’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
But before being in Nintendo, File-Aime also had sales and marketing roles at different places. He has held positions in Proctor and Gamble, Pizza Hut, Panda Express, VH1, and more.
Fils-Aime’s extensive work experience may explain why he has a different take on gaming industry unions than the rest of his peers. He has worked in places where unions are quite common. For instance, he worked at Pizza Hut, where the company had experiences with truck driver unions.
Fils-Aime blames poor policies for why workers want to form a union. According to him, leaders and managers have to assess whether or not they are creating a worker-friendly space.
The former chief operating officer added that it is not just one issue that causes workers to unionize. He believes it is a mix of issues that forces people to form a union.
Unions in America: Just the beginning?
It’s not just Starbucks or Amazon. Unions are slowly getting traction. The results, however, are not always easy for the laborers. While the Starbucks unions have been quick, Amazon and other smaller unions are running slower.
But Fils-Aime’s opinion could mark better chances for gaming industry unions and other unions across the country. After all, it is not every day that you see an industry leader side with the workers and not with the executives.
As he said, “It’s not one or two issues, but systemic issues that are running rampant.”
The growing rise of worker’s unions in the tech industry could be intimidating for companies. However, it’s also a good chance to allow workers to have a morale boost and in the process, advance the industry forward.
