Bandcamp responds to “union busting” allegations: “If a union forms, we will negotiate in good faith”
The platform has also come under fire recently for allegedly asking Topshelf Records to drop their public support for the union’s efforts.
Image: Guillaume Payen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Bandcamp has been accused of “union busting” just weeks after their workers announced that they were planning to unionise as Bandcamp United.
Last month, employees at Bandcamp declared that they were unionising in a push for fairer wages and greater transparency from its leadership.
We are Bandcamp United – a union of workers across all departments at Bandcamp committed to advocating for a better Bandcamp for all, including our international colleagues and the artists, labels, and fans who use the platform as well as ourselves. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/SKwVBPU967
— Bandcamp United (@bandcampunited) March 16, 2023
But allegations of union busting from the Epic Games-owned company have now surfaced, with members of Bandcamp United urging supporters to “email Bandcamp’s leadership and call for no more union busting”.
“We encourage you to keep it positive and remind [Bandcamp CEO] Ethan [Diamond] that our union will be good for Bandcamp,” they said. The union posted this as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) held a hearing to decide if the union would go forward.
Diamond has since responded to Bandcamp United’s accusations, stating that the company is “following the NLRB’s process and timeline. Bandcamp will respect the election outcome and if a union forms, we will negotiate in good faith.” (via ra.co)
“It is common for companies to employ law firms to represent them in NLRB proceedings,” he continued. “Both Bandcamp and the union have employed outside counsel. Not all Bandcamp employees want to be part of a union, so we believe an election matters.”
The platform has also come under fire recently for allegedly asking Topshelf Records to drop their public support for the union’s efforts. In a statement on Twitter detailing their stance and their correspondence with Bandcamp, the label said: “We fully support @bandcampunited and want to see the platform that espouses to champion independent music do so equally for their staff.”
They added, “That community built Bandcamp more than any dev or marketing team and it can and will move on to something else that respects and serves it better. we’re all watching this @Bandcamp @EpicGames @FoleyandLardner. don’t contact us again about union busting. allow this vote. ty.”
we were contacted by @Bandcamp management and petitioned to cease supporting @bandcampunited. to be clear: we fully support @bandcampunited and want to see the platform that espouses to champion independent music do so equally for their staff. let them vote immediately.
— topshelf records (@topshelfrecords) April 7, 2023
