Nintendo and its staffing and recruiting partner Aston Carter have reached a settlement with a former QA employee who claimed they had been fired for union activities, and agreed to pay $25,910 in arrears, damages and interest. According to a report in polygonIn April, the employee filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing the two companies of overseeing workers’ union activities, firing an employee for performing protected activities such as discussing wages and firing a employee for participation in or support of labor organization.
The employee, Mackenzie Clifton, also stated: in an interview with axios in September that they wanted an apology from Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser. No word yet on whether such an apology is forthcoming, but Nintendo has responded to the settlement.
Nintendo is grateful that the NLRB case has been resolved so that we can continue to focus on ensuring our work environment remains welcoming and supportive to all of our employees and partners. That approach is fundamental to our company values. As part of the public settlement, all parties remain obligated not to disclose Nintendo’s confidential business information and trade secrets, which are essential to our development process and product offerings.
While this one issue of Nintendo’s alleged union breach has been resolved, the company is still facing another complaint, filed in August, alleging Aston Carter and Nintendo once again infringed workers’ rights. First reported by axiosThis second complaint alleges that the two companies had “coercive rules” surrounding employees’ ability to participate in protected employment activities. Kotaku reported later that the employee who filed the complaint claimed they were subsequently fired after asking about Nintendo’s stance on unions.
Update October 13 10:55 am: Added a statement from Nintendo.
