Support the Tabletop Workers United Strike Hardship Fund!

Last year, 100+ workers from the biggest local game stores in NYC—Hex&Co, The Brooklyn Strategist, and The Uncommons—unionized for one simple reason: to stand together against disrespect on the job and achieve a path to a living wage.

Unfortunately, the owners, Jon Freeman and Gregory May, have responded to this effort by retaliating against employees and hiring a team of attorneys to slow bargaining to a crawl.

Tabletop Workers United members—which include childcare providers, baristas, and game specialists—are not “kids,” “disgusting,” “low-class,” or “moronic,” as Jon and Greg have allowed their employees to be described by their attorney. Even in the face of being told to “burn in hell” during bargaining, the union has not backed down. Instead, workers have relentlessly organized, from sharing petitions, marching on the boss, reaching out to the community, contacting elected representatives, and even walking off the job to protest ongoing illegal actions by the employer. Their message is loud and clear: “Our contract? Not a game! Fair wages? Not a game!”

Hex, BSTRAT, and Uncommons employees love their work and being a part of a vibrant and supportive community. But they refuse to back down from demanding conditions of basic dignity at their workplaces, which create the foundation of our NYC tabletop game community. Without these workers, there’s no Friday night Magic, D&D night, or places to go where we can enjoy our favorite hobbies. If you’ve ever had a question about what book to buy, needed a place to get buddies together to play games, or just needed to chat with someone who has similar interests, then you’ve been supported by one of these workers. They’ve done so much for us, and all they need is for us to back them up in their fight for a fair contract!

All funds raised will go towards supporting workers as they take on increasingly challenging actions, including a potential strike in the spring, to win dignified working conditions. Union strike pay covers 70% of members’ lost wages during a strike, but we are hoping to raise an additional ~$15,000 to alleviate the financial hardship that workers experience during a strike. Let’s make sure that union members can still make rent, get groceries, and pay bills while on strike!

Who are we? We are the Tabletop Solidarity Committee (TSC)—a group of customers and community members whose goal is to help ensure these important centers of our community and the wonderful people who work there will be still here in years to come. To learn more about Tabletop Workers United and/or TSC, please visit: https://linktr.ee/tabletopsolidarity