For Immediate Release: 5/31/2023

Press Contact: cbwupdx@gmail.com

Portland, Ore.—Members of Comic Book Workers United/CWA Local 7901 (CBWU/CWA) have filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Image Comics with the National Labor Relations Board in response to capricious disciplinary actions, and targeted changes to job descriptions, alleging anti-union discrimination.

Workers at Image Comics organized with the Communications Workers of America in November 2021 and ratified their contract—a first in the industry—in early March 2023. Workers had hoped Management at Image Comics would meet them at the highroad in working to build an inclusive company culture that respects the rights of workers.

However, since the contract was ratified, the work environment at Image has become increasingly hostile, and has included:

  • Increasingly frequent and arbitrary disciplinary actions, while failing to give appropriate notification to Union Representatives;

  • A series of unilateral changes and discriminatory reductions in job descriptions of Union supporters;

CBWU members have done their utmost to show through our actions that the intention behind organizing was to support each other and to continue bringing the highest level of professional care to the work of our creators.

The deleterious results of these violations of federal labor law have left CBWU no choice but to again file ULP charges. Workers had previously filed charges:

  • 8(a)(3) Changes in Terms and Conditions of Employment

  • 8(a)(1) Concerted Activities (Retaliation, Discharge, Discipline)

The component pieces of this new round of charges filed by CBWU are detailed below:

  • Violation of section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act:

    • Coercive Rules

      • Image created a work rule barring solicitation of other employees or dissemination of literature during work hours. CBWU believes this to have been a discriminatory effort to discourage and restrict the ability of Union members to engage in protected organizing activity.

  • Violation of section 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act:

    • Refusal to Bargain/Bad Faith Bargaining

      • Image unilaterally implemented a new work procedure and initially rolled it out in a non-uniform fashion. The procedure was rolled out at different times, among different employees, with different instructions being given to different workers within the Bargaining Unit. The company refused requests to communicate with the Bargaining Committee over this change prior to implementation. Image Comics managers also misled certain employees to believe that this new policy was mandatory for all Union workers, but this is demonstrably false. The disorganization of the staggered rollout, despite being a clear failure on the part of Management, was used as a pretense for Management to issue more groundless discipline.

      • Disciplinary actions have increased exponentially, with insufficient justification, lacking a full and fair investigation, without notification of the Union, and without the opportunity of having a Union Representative present. Union Representatives have yet to receive a single formal notice of any disciplinary actions.

  • Violation of Section 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act:

    • Changes in Terms and Conditions of Employment

      • Image unilaterally implemented a change which only materially affected 1 employee - an elected member of CBWU’s Bargaining Committee.

      • Despite assurances made by Management during the bargaining, change drastically reduced the scope of the aforementioned employee’s position, removing a significant portion of the employee’s job. The Union has reason to believe it is punitive and retaliatory in nature.

It is with great disappointment that we have filed these ULP charges, as we continue to strive for a communicative working relationship with Management at Image Comics and enforce the contract that we bargained in good faith. We hope for a timely and productive resolution to these issues.

Signed,

  • Comic Book Workers United

UPDATE: 8:00AM, 3/02/2023

The CBWU is proud to announce that, on March 1st 2023, the workers of Image Comics voted overwhelmingly to ratify our first union contract!

We were hopeful for, but could never have imagined, the outpouring of support we received when we began our collective bargaining journey. A lot has happened since that first announcement and we cannot begin to adequately express our gratitude to the community of people within and without the industry who have stood with us during contract negotiations. 

As we celebrate this victory, we also want to take the opportunity to reaffirm that this contract is just the first step among many and we hope you will stick with us as we continue the fight for union representation and more equitable working conditions for everyone in the comic book industry and beyond.

In closing, to those of you out there agitating, advocating, and organizing, we see you and we can’t wait to see, “What’s next?”

Signed,

  • Comic Book Workers United

UPDATE: 5:12PM, 5/30/2022

The CBWU is proud to announce that we have set a date for our first round of bargaining!

We understand that after the initial excitement of winning the vote, a period of relative silence can be a bit anticlimactic, but this is all a normal part of the process.

We have been working diligently behind the scenes to make certain our union is able to achieve its objectives once we begin collaborating with Image Comics on the contract. We're grateful for everyone's patience and interest are happy to be able to inform you that we are now moving to this new stage in the process.

We're beyond thrilled to hear about our colleagues at Seven Seas and wish them success in all of their endeavors. They wear collective bargaining well!

The wave of labor organizing in publishing is long overdue, and we're ecstatic to see that the presence of unions in the industry is a growing trend.

We all benefit from collective bargaining in the workplace and all workers deserve representation!

Signed,

  • Emilio Bautista

  • Ryan Brewer

  • Leanna Caunter

  • Drew Fitzgerald

  • Melissa Gifford

  • Chloe Ramos

  • Tricia Ramos

  • Jon Schlaffman

  • Erika Schnatz

UPDATE: 5:12PM, 1/6/2022

We're beyond thrilled to announce that today we, Comic Book Workers United, have WON our union election, making Image Comics the FIRST unionized comic book publisher in the United States.

All 12 Image staffers submitted ballots, leading to a 7:2 result in favor of the union. At this time, three staffers' ballots are subject to a frivolous legal challenge on eligibility, thus their ballots were not opened. Although these three ballots were not opened, their challenge had no impact on our supermajority win. CBWU and the CWA continue to push for their inclusion in the democratic process.

Winning this election is only the beginning -- as always, we are #drawninsolidarity and are eager to continue working together with CWA on the next steps towards securing a strong, fair, and exemplary first contract for comic book publishing workers.

We want to stress how crucial it is for all workers to know they are worthy of respect, fair treatment, fair compensation, and recognition for their time and effort. The NLRB, NLRBGC, and the CWA have been a boon of resources on how to get started on the path to unionization.

It is our sincere hope that today's win inspires our peers to organize for a democratic voice. CBWU is ready to stand with you to help create a better and more equitable comics industry for all.

Signed,

  • Emilio Bautista

  • Ryan Brewer

  • Leanna Caunter

  • Marla Eizik

  • Drew Fitzgerald

  • Melissa Gifford

  • Chloe Ramos

  • Tricia Ramos

  • Jon Schlaffman

  • Erika Schnatz

UPDATE: 6:36PM, 1/5/2022

We are less than 24 hours away from the NLRB vote count! By this time tomorrow, we'll be able to share the results of the secret ballot election that will determine whether our union is legally certified and entitled to recognition from Image Comics.

The workers of CBWU have been hoping for voluntary recognition from Image Comics in lieu of a redundant vote. However, we remain #drawninsolidarity and are confident that we will maintain the supermajority we began with back in November 2021.

Thank you once again to everyone who continues to support us through this ongoing process, from comics fans, comics creators, and from our peers both in and outside the comics industry. We draw strength not only from each other, but from all of you.

Signed,

  • Emilio Bautista

  • Ryan Brewer

  • Leanna Caunter

  • Marla Eizik

  • Drew Fitzgerald

  • Melissa Gifford

  • Chloe Ramos

  • Tricia Ramos

  • Jon Schlaffman

  • Erika Schnatz

UPDATE: 4:30PM, 12/3/2021

We now have an election timeline for when we will vote to certify our union. Ballots will be mailed to us on December 14th, and our votes will be counted on January 4th, 2022. The 10 of 12 Image employees who originally publicly announced support of CBWU remain #drawninsolidarity and are looking forward to casting our ballots in just two weeks' time. Image Comics still has the chance to be comic industry trailblazers by voluntarily recognizing Comic Book Workers United before the secret ballot election. They have already taken a step in the right direction by recently addressing our union by name for the first time. Your voices of support still matter! Please continue to root for our cause and request that Image Comics voluntarily recognizes Comic Book Workers United.

Signed,

  • Emilio Bautista

  • Ryan Brewer

  • Leanna Caunter

  • Marla Eizik

  • Drew Fitzgerald

  • Melissa Gifford

  • Chloe Ramos

  • Tricia Ramos

  • Jon Schlaffman

  • Erika Schnatz

UPDATE: 6:25PM, 11/05/2021

As of November 5th, Image Comics has failed to formally acknowledge our request for voluntary recognition. We are interpreting that lack of formal response, coupled with a Twitter post the company made indicating their intention to force us into a totally unnecessary election, as a denial of our request. This is disappointing, given that 10 of the 12 eligible staff members have already voted to form and publicly support our union, but we are strong in our principles and the pending election changes nothing.

It is not too late for voluntary recognition to happen. We are asking our community of supporters to continue emailing, writing, and tweeting that Image Comics can still voluntarily recognize the CBWU.

WE, THE WORKERS OF IMAGE COMICS, HAVE FORMED A UNION.

We are represented by the Communications Workers of America.

For years, comics publishing workers have watched our professional efforts support creators and delight readers. Sadly, we have also watched that same labor be taken for granted at best and exploited at worst. Keeping our heads above water was the new normal before the pandemic and since its onset we have been expected to take on even larger workloads with fewer resources. 

Our workforce, and the comic book and publishing industry as a whole, is overtaxed and undervalued. This is detrimental not only to general staff but also to the creators we are paid to serve and the audiences they in turn work to entertain.

Our labor is integral to the comic book industry. It requires specialized skills, dedication, and makes quality publishing possible. 

We love what we do. But loving what you do doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't ask for improvements to your working conditions. It is with this in mind and with great hope for the future of Image Comics and the comic book industry itself that we announce our intent to form a union and request voluntary recognition.

This should not be radical or revolutionary, and is, in fact, a natural development for a company that started the way Image Comics did. 

In the early stages of organizing, we looked to Image's founders for inspiration. Their dreams of self-determination and more equitable treatment in the industry they loved and helped make successful are also our dreams. 

We are honored to grow their legacy by taking this step to give all comic book industry professionals, regardless of title, the same rights, guarantees, security, and protections which the founders sought when they broke away from the big two to start their own company. In fact, several months into our organizing efforts, Jim Valentino made a comment on social media celebrating union accomplishments. That was the moment we knew this could work. 

Despite years of union busting and anti-organization sentiments in the American workforce, we know that Image has, at its heart, a desire to be first when it comes to doing the right thing for comics workers. 

That's why we know we will win, because our success is the company's success.

Our success is the creators' success.

Our success is the readers' success. 

Signed,

  • Emilio Bautista

  • Ryan Brewer

  • Leanna Caunter

  • Marla Eizik

  • Drew Fitzgerald

  • Melissa Gifford

  • Chloe Ramos

  • Tricia Ramos

  • Jon Schlaffman

  • Erika Schnatz