The members of Comic Book Workers United are once again making headlines as the union has filed a claim against Image Comics. In a filing with the U.S. Government’s Labor Relations Board, the union is citing unfair labor practices due to the company’s response against its members. The movement could be the union’s first real test of the united workers' power, and the response could potentially have a large effect on the shifting comic industry.

Staffers of Image Comics formed Comic Book Workers United in late 2021. Recognizing the value of their labor, the staffers joined together to ensure the same rights for all working comic book industry professionals. The union has made their intentions known with a list of goals aimed at creating a more beneficial work culture for all workers. But now, it seems that Comic Book Workers United union is facing its first real opposition.

Related: Image Comics is Officially the First Unionized Comic Company in America

In a filing dated January 13, 2022, Comic Book Workers United alleged unfair labor practices against Image Comics. The filing claims that Image Comics “retaliated against the bargaining unit members and Image Comic employees.” It also alleges that Image “interfered with the exercise of bargaining unit members’ and Image Comic employees’ Section 7 rights by intentionally disseminating misinformation.” Section 7 of the National Labor Relations guarantees employees the right to self-organize and bargain collectively through elected representatives.

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While the United States Government National Labor Board investigates the claims, similar stories have become increasingly common as workers begin seeking out better treatment through unions. The comic book industry is no different, having been hit hard by the pandemic that resulted in distribution problems. And it isn't only staffers with skin in the game, with creatives taking a stand against the lack of proper compensation when their ideas are adapted for movies and shows. The industry is demanding change and change never comes easy. Image Comics may have started with its founders attempting to break away from the standards set by the Big Two, but they've grown in the last 30 years to the point where Image is as big as the companies it was founded in spite of.

Of the many goals the Comic Book Workers United lists on their website, the first they list is "To foster a more competitive industry as a whole.The union isn't trying to take Image down, but rather, hold them accountable for their actions. The idea that Comic Books Workers United is there to fight on behalf of staffers and any other professional is meant to be a trait that will attract others in an industry lacking similar protections.

Some may see the union's attempt at filing a grievance against Image as an attack, but filing a claim in defense of the workers is exactly what Comic Book Workers United was elected for.

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Source: National Labor Relations Board