Workers of Pathfinder, Starfinder publisher Paizo formed a union

Paizo is the publisher of Pathfinder and Starfinder desktop role-playing games, and they formed a union. United Passion Workers (UPW) was created with the help of the Communications Workers Association of America (CWA), an organization that has been dedicated to organizing the workforce in the video game industry in recent years. This is the first time in the desktop role-playing industry, which is currently not served by an organized workforce in any major way.

“Paizo is one of the world’s largest desktop role-playing publishers, publishing more than 10 hardcover books every year, as well as numerous digital adventures and game accessories,” UPW said in a press release on Thursday. “Paizo has also carried out some of the most successful live events in the history of board games, with regular players in more than 36 countries. However, despite this success, Paizo’s workers are paid too low for their labor and need to live in the United States. One of the most expensive cities and often suffers from unsustainable tightening conditions.”

Paizo, based in Redmond, Washington, just outside of Seattle, was recently attacked by former employee Jessica Price On twitter, He claimed unfair recruitment and disciplinary practices, unclean working conditions, sexual harassment and abuse during his time at the company. When the workers decided to organize, they cited allegations made by her and other former employees.

“Although the organization of Paizo employees has been going on for some time, the sudden departure of several long-term employees in September and subsequent allegations of mismanagement by former Paizo employees have greatly eased the employer/employee imbalance. Relationship,” UPW’s The press release said. “These incidents, as well as internal conversations among Paizo employees, have revealed an inconsistent recruitment practice, pay inequality across the company, allegations of abuse by executives and management, and allegations of harassment ignored or covered up by the senior management. These findings further Inspires the need for clearer policies and stronger employee protection to ensure Paizo employees feel safe at work.”

Thursday’s press release was signed by more than 30 current Paizo employees on the organizing committee, including the chief designers of Pathfinder and Starfinder. It is not clear whether this represents the majority of the company’s employees, LinkedIn lists the total number of employees as 135.

Polygon contacted CWA to comment on today’s announcement, but the organization declined to add more information.

We also contacted Paizo to ask whether it will voluntarily recognize the union or whether it will force the National Labor Relations Committee to vote unanimously. It currently declined to comment.