Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Same here. I've gotten exceptional service from them over the years, even when I was being an idiot.
The employees deserve good, fair treatment and the means to secure it if they don't have it.
Update: The Union was Recognized! Noble Knight Games employees Unionize.
The employees deserve good, fair treatment and the means to secure it if they don't have it.
Mad_Jack
Legend
Ahh... They're obviously doing a lot more business than I thought. Do they run multiple shifts in their warehouse?
RivetGeekWil
Lead developer Tribes in the Dark
They have 21 employees on LinkedIn and that isn't going be all of them. Glassdoor lists them as under 50 employees. There's no minimum to unionize but 30% have to perform for the union for the NLRB to conduct an election.
Enevhar Aldarion
Hero
If the employees at a small business like that feel the need to have a Union, then things must be pretty crappy behind the scenes, no matter how nice it may seem to the customer.
darjr
I crit!
I was going to make a comment that this wasn't necessarily the case. There are a number of reasons why the workers may want to unionize. Bad working conditions is a big one, but not the only one.
But then this...
If the company is refusing to recognize the union, well, that's not a good sign.
John R Davis
Hero
Games Workshop in the UK definitely need to unionise. They have very Draconian terms and conditions.
Ralif Redhammer
Legend
I've always had great experiences buying from Noble Knight. To hear this is discouraging.
GreyLord
Legend
Not necessarily.
Grocery store workers in the majority of the US are not unionized (they are in California I believe), but that doesn't necessarily reflect bad working conditions (at least in relation to the US). [Yes, I realize NK is NOT a grocer, this is an example of retail work in the US]
IT CAN reflect what their target employees are in some cases (younger individuals or those looking for additional income in some places, others have varying pay depending on the position with some positions specfically focused for some of those types of employees with the expectations those positions will not really buy the healthcare or other items).
Some of it may be part time work where the default is expected that one can schedule times to not work if they wish and don't have to go in as much so the company feels they don't need the days off like a full-time worker.
With that said, most grocery stores probably would also flat out refuse to recognize a union in the United States, especially if they feel that union is trying to demand things that are not useful to the business (for example, trying to force the above part time workers to be given 2 weeks vacation fully paid, getting a healthcare plan that is affordable for those part time workers to afford on part time pay, and paying filler positions high wages).
A forced union will force the business to recognize and deal with those issues. In some instances that can be beneficial (happy workers make a company a better place to work and can help the business actually do better), but there are some where it may be bad for many workers (company cannot afford to pay the demands thus will simply cut those jobs that will require them to give these benefits but are not worth paying those benefits. It may seem to make some happy on that, but for part timers [which a majority may be at Noble Knight...it indicates in the thread that they have around 15 full timers, which would mean they have around 60 part-timers] that could mean that they no longer have to worry because they have no job period).
This is not particularly specific to Grocery Stores, but can be applied to many various retail outlets in the US. Obviously, the US is different than other nations in this area. In some nations in Europe there are very LOW union participation rates (such as France) but this is countered by Strong Government regulations (which are lacking in the US) which afford most workers rights which the US lacks. Just like the above, in some instances this is a good thing, in others it is bad.
It should be noted though that the US GDP dwarfs most European nations. California may have better laws in regards to unionization and employment regulation, but it pales in comparison to most nations in Europe (which in turn are regulated in part by EU statutes). California, a mere state, has an economy that is on the verge of bypassing one of Europe's strongest economies (Germany). The states in the US have many which surpass the national GDP of other nations.
I generally support Unions, but there are times when I wonder if it is the best choice (and perhaps it is in the US with the lack of employee protections, lack of free education past basic levels, and lack of universal healthcare which puts the onus of healthcare payment options on job opportunity instead of equal application to everyone), especially in relation to jobs that were created specifically as side work rather than full time work.
