Nintendo of America named in labor lawsuit

Nintendo of America was named, along with hiring company Aston Carter, in a National Labor Relations Board filing alleging that “concerted activity” and “coercive action” violated an individual worker’s protected right to unionize.

As reported by Axios Gaming’s Stephen Totilo, the complaint was filed on Friday April 15, 2022 and while the document itself is not visible on the NLRB filing page, the claims of an unnamed employee include the following:

8(a)(3) Dismissal (including dismissal and refusal to hire (not salting))
8(a)(1) Compulsory statements (threats, promises of benefits, etc.)
8(a)(1) Concerted Activities (Retaliation, Dismissal, Discipline)
8(a)(1) Coercive measures (surveillance, etc.)

Aston Carter is a cross-continental staffing and recruitment company that has worked with Nintendo to fill various internal positions.

The exact details of the case beyond the charges listed above are unclear at this time and neither company has publicly commented at this time. An investigation will follow to examine the details of the allegations.

The issue of workers’ rights in the video game industry has been a hot topic of late, as Activision Blizzard employees have taken steps to unionize after harassment and discrimination lawsuits that have spotlighted workplace issues across the gaming industry since they surfaced in the year 2021.

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