Dark Horse Interim CEO Jay Komas announced on June 3 that the company will voluntarily recognize Dark Horse Workers United as the company’s union. The new union is affiliated with Communications Workers of America (see “Dark Horse Workers Unionize”). While unusual, the voluntary recognition of the union allows both parties to proceed to the next steps toward collective bargaining.
“Voluntary recognition is an unusual step for employers,” Komas said in his statement, “but in doing so Dark Horse intends to reaffirm its commitment that this new leadership wants to do things differently and enter into good-faith bargaining. Not because we are required to, but because it is the right thing to do. The path to a strong Dark Horse runs through a workforce that feels heard, respected, and genuinely invested in the company’s future, not one that feels like it must fight just to be seen.”
In the statement, he acknowledged the longstanding issues that led the employees to organize. “Over the years, this company has asked a great deal of its employees,” he said. “People have poured themselves into this work; accepting conditions, absorbing uncertainty, and sometimes carrying burdens that were not always fairly distributed because they believed in what Dark Horse stood for. That belief is something we must honor. Dark Horse understands and accepts the obligation to change and, as we embark on this journey, we will do so in genuine partnership across our entire team.”
Dark Horse is now the third comics publisher with a union affiliated with the CWA, following Image Comics (see “Image Comics Union Ratifies Contract”) and Seven Seas Entertainment (see “Seven Seas Recognizes”). On the gaming side, CWA also organized workers at Paizo, Inc. (see “Paizo Employees Form Union”) and Wizards of the Coast (see “Union Organized at Wizards of the Coast“).
Source: ICv2
