Statement of Solidarity with the Workers of Riot

To our friends, family, peers, and coworkers at Riot,

The several thousand members of Game Workers Unite International are proud to stand in solidarity with you as you speak out against injustice in your workplace and take a stand to demand the end of forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination, a practice designed to protect companies and silence workers.

We in the labor movement know that change doesn't come about from nice words and daydreaming, it come about only through day-to-day struggles, building solidarity with your coworkers, speaking out, and showing up even when it feels like no one else will join you. Well, today you have certainly shown up and used your collective voice to make a demand more powerful than any one of you could have done alone.

You are demonstrating to all of us in this industry that real change can only come when you and your coworkers stand up for one another, share mutual respect, and develop deep relationships of care and support in the workplace.

While participating in the first walkout in the game industry may feel scary and uncertain, know that your struggle at Riot does not exist in a vacuum. You are not alone. There exists a long and storied history of people, regular people, fighting fights just like yours in the game, tech, and entertainment industries. Today you build upon that foundation laid by countless workers before you who refused to accept things as they were and built a better world. Today you carry that movement forward.

In the years ahead, as the movement to improve the lives of workers in the game industry continues to grow, we will all look back on the day Rioters (a fitting name given the daily courage and determination you display) walked out as the first strong and confident step towards ending our industry’s culture of harassment and worker exploitation.

In solidarity,

Game Workers Unite International