Sony Music has announced plans to shutter a Minneapolis warehouse that processes merch for punk bands, prompting its staff to accuse the company of union-busting, See/Saw reports. Workers at Kings Road Merch—which acts as a supplier for punk luminaries including Rancid, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, and Converge—had unanimously voted to unionize on May 11 this year, citing pay discrepancies and unfair contracts. Sony formally announced the warehouse’s closure on June 23, hours before the company’s first scheduled bargaining session with the union.
A Sony representative told Pitchfork that, by the time unionization plans came to Sony’s attention, its decision to close the warehouse had been “many months in the making.” (The representative declined to share evidence, citing ongoing negotiations with the union.) On April 9, staff had formally petitioned the warehouse manager to form a union under Teamsters Local 970. On April 27, Sony lawyers held their first Zoom call with Teamsters Local 970 president Chad Reichow. This is the first time any warehouse representative was informed of a plan to close the warehouse, Sony said.
It's infuriating how these companies treat the general public. Oh the decision was many months in the making, had nothing to do with the union organizing, but NO YOU DON'T GET ANY PROOF JUST TRUST US BRO.
Fuck Sony.