Following successful unionization efforts at Image Comics and Seven Seas Entertainment, workers at Drawn & Quarterly have formed a union under the Fédération du commerce of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), with the union certified by the Administrative Labor Tribunal of Quebec. This covers employees at both the publishing arm and the bookstores operated by the company.
The union put out a press release that stated worker goals of wanting “to foster transparent and reciprocal lines of communication between employees and employers, as well as secure a more active, consultative role in their employment conditions” and seeking “to establish sustainable pathways to long-term employment.”
The union also identified financial goals. “We need to be able to see futures for ourselves at D&Q, and to do that, we need salaries that sustain us and benefits that support us to continue to show up for our coworkers and authors,” the statement said.
Image Comics employees formed a union, Comic Book Workers United, in November 2021 (see “Image Employees Form Union”), which was recognized by the company after a ballot in January 2022 (see “Image Comics Employees Vote to Unionize”). Labor relations at the company still seem unsettled, as earlier this year, Comic Book Workers United filed charges of unfair labor practices against Image Comics (see “Image Comics Union Charges Unfair Labor Practices”).
Seven Seas Entertainment was unionized in June 2022, when the company recognized the employee union (see “Seven Seas Voluntarily Recognizes Union”). Comics is not the only fandom industry undergoing unionization; the gaming industry is as well, with Paizo unionizing in October 2021 (see “Paizo Voluntarily Recognizes Union”), retailer Noble Knight Games in December 2022 (see “Game Retailer Recognizes Union”), and TCGplayer in March 2023 (see “Union Wins Election at TCGplayer”).
Source: ICv2
