Nintendo settles labor dispute with former employee

Nintendo settles labor dispute with former employee

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The company, along with its recruitment and staffing partner Aston Carter, agreed to pay almost $25,000 in damages after an employee claimed they were fired for engaging in protected activities

By Ash Parrish

Oct 13, 2022, 2:38 PM UTC|

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Nintendo and its staffing and recruiting partner Aston Carter have reached a settlement with a former QA employee who alleged they were fired for union activity, agreeing to pay $25,910 covering back pay, damages, and interest. According to a report in Polygon, the employee filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board back in April in which the two companies were accused of surveilling employees’ union activity, firing an employee for engaging in protected activity like discussing wages, and firing an employee for joining or supporting 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 if such an apology is forthcoming, but Nintendo did issue a response to the settlement.

Nintendo is thankful that a resolution was reached in the NLRB matter so that we can continue to focus on ensuring that our working environment remains welcoming and supportive for all our employees and associates. 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 paramount to our development process and product offerings.

Though this one matter of Nintendo’s alleged union busting has been settled, the company still faces another complaint, filed in August, alleging that Aston Carter and Nintendo yet again infringed on employees’ rights. First reported by Axios, this second complaint alleges that the two companies employed “coercive rules” surrounding employees’ ability to participate in protected labor activity. Kotaku later reported that the employee who made the complaint claimed they were subsequently fired after asking about Nintendo’s stance on labor unions.

Update October 13, 10:55 AM: Added a statement from Nintendo.