This week has seen it’s share of excitement. TCAF has walked back a questionable choice of guest, (without yet addressing any of the issues around why the guest was chosen or the damage done.) But today, I want to address something very serious – the well-being of the people who make the manga we love.
This month, employees of Seven Seas declared intent to unionize. They were asking for absolutely reasonable things, like fair pay, time off and healthcare. I honestly expected management to engage reasonably, because of course one would assume that. Management chose not engage. And still, I hoped that management was making sure the union would be formed fairly. The United Workers of Seven Seas have announced that they have a 78% supermajority in favor of a union.
Seven Seas called for a formal vote and said they will abide by the result of the election, but, ahead of that election has hired the second-largest union-busting law firm in the United States. This is a law firm hired by the worst people to stop employees from doing a thing they are legally entitled to do. (Click that link above to see just how awful a choice of law firm it is) This is an act of war against the union. As of now, UW7S is not asking for a boycott, but they are completely aware of their situation. They suggest you follow them on Twitter, tweet your support, use their hashtags and mascots.
I’m appalled. I honestly cannot imagine treating employees this way. Seven Seas has grown so much, so fast, and has such hard-working, decent folks. All they want is the company which is making a lot of money to fairly reward the employees who make it profitable.
I and everyone at Okazu stand in solidarity with the United Workers of Seven Seas. I hope you stand with me.
aww that’s disappointing, I’d hoped 7S would be better than that and recognize the union voluntarily.
Me too. But maybe if Jason understood, they wouldn’t have needed a union.
I don’t know why it still manages to surprise me whenever a corporation takes off its mask and reveals its abusive capitalist soul, but somehow it still does. I just always assume that some of these companies, especially smaller ones, are run by normal people with souls. I guess that’s expecting too much.
Go Seven Seas workers! Standing by to help in whatever way the union asks for.
So exactly my thoughts as well.
Damn. I just picked up a couple of Seven Seas books — purchases that could have waited until after the union drive succeeded. Time to cull my pre-orders.
No worries. They aren’t calling for a boycott. Just show them your support!
W-e-l-l, I just wrote them, politely, if coolly, in support of the union, pointing out that in the first five months of this year I’ve purchased (gasp!) 32 books from them (nearly half of them books I got because of reviews here), including 12 series that haven’t concluded yet, and that I look forward to an amicable agreement between them and the union.
Nicely done.