Bandcamp employees in the US have officially unionised.
Employees of the Epic Games conglomerate formed a union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 1010. The union, called Bandcamp United, consists of editorial, design, support, and engineering staff who are calling for “a fair and timely election.”
In their mission statement, they argue that a site like Bandcamp, which is an ethical alternative to the streaming industry, should reflect its mission internally. “We all chose to join this company as an extension of our own love for independent music,” they share in the statement.
Several other relatively new unions in the music industry include Moog, Secretly Group, Spotify, and the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers. Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond confirmed the employees’ right to organise and said that the company is reviewing their petition. “We are aware that some Bandcamp employees are seeking to organise a union,” he said. “Employees have a right to organise and we are reviewing the petition to understand their concerns.”
