Full quotes from the unionizing workers at the end of this release
PETALUMA, CA — Workers at 2K’s Motion Capture (MoCap) studio in Petaluma, California, officially filed for a union election to be overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the union announced Wednesday. 21 full-time staff members at the studio, who are responsible for a wide range of motion capture productions for Take-Two Interactive, requested voluntary recognition of their union but Management declined to respond, forcing workers to file for an official election supervised by the Federal Government.
This unionization push is the first public union campaign at a motion capture studio in the history of the Video Games Industry. Connor Bredbeck, Stage Technician, said, “The opportunity to work at 2K Mocap has truly been a dream come true for my coworkers and me. It is our love for the work we do that has not only allowed us to organize but is also the reason we are organizing in the first place. The inequities we are experiencing are endemic to the gaming industry and detract from the work we are all so passionate about. The decision to form a union was a necessary step for our studio and hopefully for others as well.”
The Petaluma studio plays a vital role in producing motion capture for renowned 2K and Take-Two Interactive titles such as NBA 2K, TopSpin 2K, WWE 2K, XCOM, Bioshock and Mafia franchises. Calvin Walantus, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer reflected on this legacy, “At 2K Mocap, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work on some of my all-time favorite franchises. My coworkers and I decided to form a union to make sure that that opportunity actually represents a rewarding and sustainable career for every dedicated worker who puts their blood, sweat and tears into it.”
Workers seek to address core issues related to their compensation and working conditions. The unit’s priorities include job security, pay equity that reflects industry standards, wage minimums for new hires, and a clearer definition of job responsibilities. The workers argue that despite recent investments in upgrading the facility, their wages remain below par, making it difficult to maintain long-term careers in the industry.
“I work with a lot of talented and creative people at 2K, all who deserve to have their jobs protected and their wages fair and competitive,” said Cameron Boyce, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator. “Unfortunately management has failed repeatedly to hear our voices when issues arise, which made us feel unheard and ultimately undervalued , and in management’s eyes, expendable.”
The filing covers several job titles and designations, including: Jr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Junior Motion Capture Stage Technician, Mocap Technical Animator, Motion Capture Animator, Motion Capture Artist II, Motion Capture Audio Recording Specialist, Motion Capture Audio Specialist, Motion Capture Lead Solver, Motion Capture Master Carpenter, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator, Motion Capture Stage Technician, Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Senior Mocap AD, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer, Sr. Virtual Production Tech, Mocap, Stage Technician, Stage Technician I.
“The folks at 2K Mocap are more than coworkers, we are genuinely friends with one another who spend time together outside of work constantly,” said Motion Capture Animator Matt Peterson. “As such it reflects in the work we do daily, as we often times put in the effort to make sure we not only pull our own weight, but go the extra mile to ensure that our friends aren’t overwhelmed with their own workloads. It’s an unfortunate reality that rather than recognize this unity and celebrate this rare form of work ethic, we are often reminded of our expendability. But quite simply put, friends are not expendable. Hopefully with organizing this will help upper management realize that the people here are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet.”
Michael F. Miller, International Vice-President of IATSE, expressed his support for the workers, stating: “These dedicated individuals are essential to the success of the world-class video games their labor helps create, and their contributions and technical skills overlap significantly with crafts IATSE already represents. IATSE stands firmly with the 2K MoCap workers and Video Game workers in general in their pursuit of the same rights and protections union members have around the entertainment industry. We look forward to the election and eventually good faith negotiations with Take-Two Interactive to honor their workers’ voices and engage in good faith negotiations.”
2K Motion Capture Stage workers’ unionization bid is part of a broader movement to win a collective voice on the job within the video game and VFX sectors of the entertainment industry. Workers interested in joining a movement that can change work in these sectors for the better can learn more by visiting gameworkers.org and vfxunion.org respectively.
Worker Quotes:
“At 2K Mocap, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work on some of my all-time favorite franchises. My coworkers and I decided to form a union to make sure that that opportunity actually represents a rewarding and sustainable career for every dedicated worker who puts their blood, sweat and tears into it.”
— Calvin Walantus, Sr. Motion Capture Tools Engineer
“I work with a lot of talented and creative people at 2K, all who deserve to have their jobs protected and their wages fair and competitive. Unfortunately management has failed repeatedly to hear our voices when issues arise, which made us feel unheard and ultimately undervalued, and in management’s eyes, expendable. It’s been amazing to see my coworkers band together to support each other and care about the difficulties and joys we all share. It’s proven to us that it’s your coworkers that make a company great to work for, and I’m thankful to each one of them for making and continuing to make the studio a place we all want to work at.”
— Cameron Boyce, Motion Capture Scenic Fabricator
“As creative professionals, we have a tendency to sacrifice and settle for less, because we have an unrelenting passion for what we do and the projects we work on. But we owe it to ourselves and to others in this industry to fight for protections so that we can keep building the games that we and so many others love.”
— Ryan Kwok, Motion Capture Tools Engineer
“When entering this industry I never in my life could’ve imagined being part of such a tight knit group of people. The folks at 2K Mocap are more than coworkers, we are genuinely friends with one another who spend time together outside of work constantly. As such it reflects in the work we do daily, as we often times put in the effort to make sure we not only pull our own weight, but go the extra mile to ensure that our friends aren’t overwhelmed with their own workloads. It’s an unfortunate reality that rather than recognize this unity and celebrate this rare form of work ethic, we are often reminded of our expendability. But quite simply put, friends are not expendable. Hopefully with organizing this will help upper management realize that the people here are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet.”
— Matt Peterson, Motion Capture Animator
“The folks at 2k Mocap are some of the most passionate people I have had the pleasure to work with and learn from. It is a shame to see that passion get chewed up and spit out by the politics of this industry. My greatest hope is that the work we are doing now is going to set up future generations with a more stable and conscientious career.”
— Megan Marshall, Motion Capture Stage Technician
“The opportunity to work at 2K Mocap has truly been a dream come true for my coworkers and me. It is our love for the work we do that has not only allowed us to organize but is also the reason we are organizing in the first place. The inequities we are experiencing are endemic to the gaming industry and detract from the work we are all so passionate about. The decision to form a union was a necessary step for our studio and hopefully for others as well. The level of empathy my coworkers have shown throughout this process has been nothing short of inspiring as we fight together for better working conditions. I hope 2K and its representatives recognize us and the hard work we put into every project. Every person I work alongside cares deeply for this organization and the titles we produce. It’s time for 2K to acknowledge our efforts with fair wages, reasonable workloads, and job security, returning that level of care to its employees.”
— Connor Bredbeck, Stage Technician