Current Events > Should YouTube content creators unionize?

(+) Yeah! (+)

These guys are being bullied by advertisers and big business and losing their livelihoods. Should they unionize and stand up for their rights?
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No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.
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Only if lowtiergod is their president
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They're not even hired workers. Youtube could terminate their accounts tomorrow if they want. What will a union do lmao.

GODTIER posted...

Only if boogie2988 is their president

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I would pay to watch what would unfold if bunch of YouTube content creators announce their intent to form a union.

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.
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Hexagon posted...

They're not even hired workers.

you don't need to be employees to unionize
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They wouldn't really be able to unionize imo. Youtube content is a dime a dozen and it'd be impossible to get every possible youtuber to join the union. Oh no, I can't watch my favorite let's player I guess I'll have to settle for one of 8,000 others.
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Or they could, you know, get together and create their own video platform.
HTML5 makes the coding pretty simple.

SkittyOnWailord posted...

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.
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lilORANG posted...

They wouldn't really be able to unionize imo. Youtube content is a dime a dozen and it'd be impossible to get every possible youtuber to join the union. Oh no, I can't watch my favorite let's player I guess I'll have to settle for one of 8,000 others.

Only the really big ones who individually make youtube a lot of money could do it, and they'd have to get a lot of youtubers to do it.
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Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

Think you're better than us?
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Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

That doesn't mean it's not a job.

Just because a job may vanish tomorrow doesn't mean that it's not a job today.
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Dragonblade01 posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

That doesn't mean it's not a job.

Just because a job may vanish tomorrow doesn't mean that it's not a job today.

Does that job have good dental/health benefits? I don't want to search it and was just wondering.
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SkittyOnWailord posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

That doesn't mean it's not a job.

Just because a job may vanish tomorrow doesn't mean that it's not a job today.

Does that job have good dental/health benefits? I don't want to search it and was just wondering.

Doesn't seem like it.
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Dragonblade01 posted...

SkittyOnWailord posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

That doesn't mean it's not a job.

Just because a job may vanish tomorrow doesn't mean that it's not a job today.

Does that job have good dental/health benefits? I don't want to search it and was just wondering.

Doesn't seem like it.

Ah, ok. Thanks for the info.
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Dragonblade01 posted...

SkittyOnWailord posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Drpooplol posted...

how do people still think this in 2017, some people make really good money doing it, and people want to consume it. You're a dum dum.

Because, anyone with any semblance of a working memory recognized it all as yet another internet bubble.

That doesn't mean it's not a job.

Just because a job may vanish tomorrow doesn't mean that it's not a job today.

Does that job have good dental/health benefits? I don't want to search it and was just wondering.

Doesn't seem like it.

It's $100 of coverage per 1,000,000 views
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SkittyOnWailord posted...

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.

Oh, they are doing something right. The problem is that it is a broken system and NOBODY should make millions just for playing video games.
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They could just use Patreon. If they are a big enough channel, their viewers/fans will give them money.
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lol and what are they supposed to threaten Google/YouTube with? Not uploading a video for a day? Wow I'm sure they'll be shaking in their boots.
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CountessRolab posted...

SkittyOnWailord posted...

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.

Oh, they are doing something right. The problem is that it is a broken system and NOBODY should make millions just for playing video games.

Why? They are providing something that entertains people and getting paid based on how popular they are.

The whole entertainment sector is littered with jobs like that.
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XxKrazyChaosxX posted...

They could just use Patreon. If they are a big enough channel, their viewers/fans will give them money.

Most of them do so they have no reason to bitch.
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Dragonblade01 posted...

CountessRolab posted...

SkittyOnWailord posted...

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.

Oh, they are doing something right. The problem is that it is a broken system and NOBODY should make millions just for playing video games.

Why? They are providing something that entertains people and getting paid based on how popular they are.

The whole entertainment sector is littered with jobs like that.

Someone should not get paid 20x more than a brain surgeon simply by playing video games. Sorry, but I disagree with capitalism in that respect.
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CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

Thats stupid, they are actors who create their own content. They deserve to get paid. whether you like the content or not is irrelevant. They bring in viewers, they deserve to be paid.
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CountessRolab posted...

Someone should not get paid 20x more than a brain surgeon simply by playing video games. Sorry, but I disagree with capitalism in that respect.

That's fine, but it's still a job.
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CountessRolab posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

CountessRolab posted...

SkittyOnWailord posted...

CountessRolab posted...

No, and they shouldnt be paid to begin with tbh.

This. Putting videos on Youtube isn't a job. If it is then you're doing something wrong.

Oh, they are doing something right. The problem is that it is a broken system and NOBODY should make millions just for playing video games.

Why? They are providing something that entertains people and getting paid based on how popular they are.

The whole entertainment sector is littered with jobs like that.

Someone should not get paid 20x more than a brain surgeon simply by playing video games. Sorry, but I disagree with capitalism in that respect.

Where are we getting the money to right this wrong and give brain surgeons 20x what entertainers get?

Take the revenue from sports, movies, and YouTube and give it people in the "real" jobs?
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They are technically contractors, not employees.

No, people should abandon Youtube and let it die
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Spooking posted...

Probably for the best to have advertisers leave and/or be picky. Reaction and gaming channels are the biggest offenders of being "art" or "entertainment". They use other people's content to make money. Seems shady.

How are they using other people's content?
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They don't hold any leverage over YouTube, so there's basically no way this would work
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CountessRolab posted...

Someone should not get paid 20x more than a brain surgeon simply by playing video games. Sorry, but I disagree with capitalism in that respect.

So would you rather have the alternative - laws/regulations preventing people from freely giving their money to who they want based an ascribed importance level?
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DifferentialEquation posted...

CountessRolab posted...

Someone should not get paid 20x more than a brain surgeon simply by playing video games. Sorry, but I disagree with capitalism in that respect.

So would you rather have the alternative - laws/regulations preventing people from freely giving their money to who they want based an ascribed importance level?

Google was a bunch of suckers, and it was smart to milk the bubble as long as possible.
Insisting on an arbitrary measure of worth, decreed by some-odd authority, is just plain tyrannical.

In what sense is streaming a bubble? Maybe YT as a platform was but streaming seems as strong as ever
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No, youtube is not an employer, content creators are not employees.

Through union membership, workers can impact wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, and other work-related issues. Under U.S. law, workers of all ages have the right to join a union.
Having support from the union to ensure fair treatment in the workplace is one of the key reasons people join. Many of the benefits and protections workers enjoy today came about as a result of union efforts. These include the minimum wage, social security payments, an eight hour day and weekends, overtime pay, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to meet safety standards for their workers.

None of this applies to anyone uploading videos to youtube.
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Balrog0 posted...

In what sense is streaming a bubble?

Getting paid millions of dollars to stream meaningless banter in the corner (or just audio) while playing a video game is the bubble.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Balrog0 posted...

In what sense is streaming a bubble?

Getting paid millions of dollars to stream meaningless banter in the corner (or just audio) while playing a video game is the bubble.

How is it "meaningless banter" "while playing a video game"?
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Questionmarktarius posted...

Getting paid millions of dollars to stream meaningless banter in the corner (or just audio) while playing a video game is the bubble.

yeah that's probably fair

hasn't that already been replaced with sexy girls streaming on twitch though?

or, more seriously, replacing free videos with advertising with some kind of patreon subscription style model
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REMercsChamp posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Balrog0 posted...

In what sense is streaming a bubble?

Getting paid millions of dollars to stream meaningless banter in the corner (or just audio) while playing a video game is the bubble.

How is it "meaningless banter" "while playing a video game"?

Pewd, Oney, and Gamegrumps are the obvious ones. AVGN at least knows how editing works.
The other part of the 'bubble' is camera-up-the-nose talking heads, and the sloppy guy in room full of toys variant, complaining about some damn thing, for twenty minutes.

I didn't realise they existed in a charged state in the first place.
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Questionmarktarius posted...

and the sloppy guy in room full of toys variant, complaining about some damn thing, for twenty minutes.

I'm not sure if you were referring to AlphaOmegaSin, but that's who I thought of. The guy could cut his video lengths by 90% if he would just the to point.
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I fully support their ability to make money from what they do. If they can do that, more power to them.

I'm also pro-union, but I don't think unionization is appropriate here, as YouTube/Google don't provide a workplace, work benefits or even technically a wage or work hours.

I suppose in theory it could be done unofficially, i.e. they get together and 'strike' in sufficient numbers to harm YT (although I'm not sure how feasible that is given their size). They'd be well within their rights to do that since they're not contracted or anything.

luigi13579 posted...

I fully support their ability to make money from what they do. If they can do that, more power to them.

I'm also pro-union, but I don't think unionization is appropriate here, as YouTube/Google don't provide a workplace, work benefits or even technically a wage or work hours.

I suppose in theory it could be done unofficially, i.e. they get together and 'strike' in sufficient numbers to harm YT (although I'm not sure how feasible that is given their size). They'd be well within their rights to do that since they're not contracted or anything.

>Pro-union
>Okay with Youtube content creators starving to death because they were forced out of jobs by greedy and corrupt advertisers and business executives
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Good luck getting them to join anything. Many of them pretty much hate each other, or are constantly trying to sue each other. Or at worst, starting fake beef with each other.
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REMercsChamp posted...

>Pro-union
>Okay with Youtube content creators starving to death because they were forced out of jobs by greedy and corrupt advertisers and business executives

I'm not sure how you took that from my post.

As I said, if they can organize and hit YouTube where it hurts, great. I'm just not sure if that would technically be unionization, given the fact that they're not employed by YouTube. It's quite a unique situation.

Also, I have nothing but disdain for companies that claim workers are "self-employed" to avoid certain costs (like employee benefits), e.g. Uber. Now, maybe a solution in this instance could be to give streamers an 'employed' status and the rights that would entail (I'm not sure what that would mean for unionization). I don't know if that would fly given the power that YouTube/Google have and the nature of the job that streamers do (i.e. the flexibility in terms of hours, earnings, etc.).

Best believe the FTC will mandate regulations and standards that will make Youtube a legitimate broadcast network instead of the Wild West it is now.
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