Category Archives: Business

Crunchyroll Adds Kodansha Titles to the Crunchyroll Manga Library

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Crunchyroll is turning a new page in collaboration with Kodansha USA Publishing by bringing some of the most iconic manga franchises to Crunchyroll Manga. This marks a major step in Crunchyroll’s commitment to anime fans around the world as the ultimate destination for anime and manga fandom.

Starting on May 18, the Kodansha titles joining the Crunchyroll Manga catalog will include Attack on Titan, Fire Force, Tokyo Revengers, Your Lie in April, The Seven Deadly Sins, BAKEMONOGATARI, Chihayafuru, with more Kodansha titles to follow. These landmark series, many of which have defined anime, demonstrate Crunchyroll’s growing investment in premium entertainment.

Crunchyroll and Crunchyroll Manga reflect a seamless experience where fans can toggle from page to series with ease in a unified platform where discovery, storytelling, and fandom connect. Kodansha builds on Crunchyroll Manga’s growing roster of premier publishing partners, including AlphaPolis, COMPASS, MobileBook.jp, Shueisha, Square Enix, Titan Manga, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. Together, they reinforce Crunchyroll Manga as a single, seamless destination to fall in love with manga.

See the complete list of titles from Kodansha coming to Crunchyroll Manga on May 18:

  • Attack on Titan
  • Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 
  • BAKEMONOGATARI
  • Beck
  • Chihayafuru
  • DAYS
  • Domestic Girlfriend
  • Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro
  • Fire Force
  • Kiss Him, Not Me
  • My Boss’s Kitten
  • Nodame Cantabile
  • Parasyte
  • Peach Girl
  • Say I Love You.
  • School Rumble
  • The Fable
  • The Seven Deadly Sins
  • Tokyo Revengers
  • Tsuredure Children
  • Vampire Dormitory
  • Watari-kun’s ****** Is About to Collapse
  • Your Lie in April

Featured titles from Kodansha:

Attack on Titan (created by Hajime Isayama) – A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

Fire Force (created by Atsushi Ohkubo) – The city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! Luckily, a special team is there to quench the inferno: The Fire Force! The fire soldiers at Special Fire Cathedral 8 are about to get a unique addition. Enter Shinra, a boy who possesses the power to run at the speed of a rocket, leaving behind the famous “devil’s footprints” (and destroying his shoes in the process). Can Shinra and his colleagues discover the source of this strange epidemic before the city burns to ashes?

Tokyo Revengers (created by Ken Wakui) – Watching the news, Takemichi Hanagaki learns that his girlfriend from way back in middle school, Hinata Tachibana, has died. The only girlfriend he ever had was just killed by a villainous group known as the Tokyo Manji Gang. He lives in a crappy apartment with thin walls, and his six-years-younger boss treats him like an idiot. Plus, he’s a complete and total virgin… At the height of his rock-bottom life, he suddenly time-leaps 12 years back to his middle school days!! To save Hinata, and change the life he spent running away, hopeless part-timer Takemichi must aim for the top of Kanto’s most sinister delinquent gang!!

Parasyte (created by Hitoshi Iwaaki) – They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They have a hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites, alien creatures who must invade—and take control of—a human host to survive. And once they have infected their victims, they can assume any deadly form they choose: monsters with giant teeth, winged demons, creatures with blades for hands. But most have chosen to conceal their lethal purpose behind ordinary human faces. So no one knows their secret—except an ordinary high school student. Shin is battling for control of his own body against an alien parasite, but can he find a way to warn humanity of the horrors to come?

The Seven Deadly Sins (created by Nakaba Suzuki) – When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth—the Sins were framed by the king’s guard, the Holy Knights—too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne! Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn’t even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins’ strength been exaggerated…? Prepare to get swept away by an epic fantasy story and colorful cast of characters that will rewrite the history of manga as we know it!

Your Lie in April (created by Naoshi Arakawa) – Kosei Arima was a piano prodigy until his cruel taskmaster of a mother died suddenly, changing his life forever. Driven by his pain to abandon piano, Kosei now lives in a monotonous, colorless world. Having resigned himself to a bland life, he is surprised when he meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with an unorthodox style. Can she bring Kosei back to music, and back to life?

BAKEMONOGATARI (written by NISIOISIN and illustrated Oh!Great) – One day, high-school student Koyomi Araragi catches a girl named Hitagi Senjougahara when she trips. But-much to his surprise-she doesn’t weigh anything. At all. She says an encounter with a so-called “crab” took away all her weight… Monsters have been here since the beginning. Always. Everywhere.

Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro (created by Nanashi) – Nagatoro is a freshman in high school who loves teasing and torturing her older male classmate! What’s her motivation and why does Senpai put up with her? Does Nagatoro just want to create misery for Senpai? Or maybe she secretly likes him?

Chihayafuru (created by Yuki Suetsugu) – Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game. Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game.

Additionally, a new title from Shueisha, Dricam!!, created by You Chiba, will also be added to Crunchyroll Manga on May 18. 

eBay Slaps Down GameStop’s Acquisition Pitch

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GameStop

It looks like the acquisition of eBay by GameStop isn’t going to be easy. Last week, GameStop and its CEO Ryan Cohen put out an offer to purchase eBay in a $55.5 billion deal that was 50% cash and 50% common stock. Since then, we’ve had all sorts of drama including a disaster CNBC interview and an eBay account suspension.

Now, the Board of Directors of eBay have rejected the “unsolicited, non-binding acquisition proposal” calling it “neither credible nor attractive.”

Dear Mr. Cohen,

The Board, with the support of its independent advisors, has thoroughly reviewed your proposal and has determined to reject it.

We have concluded that your proposal is neither credible nor attractive. We have taken into account such factors as 1) eBay’s standalone prospects, 2) the uncertainty regarding your financing proposal, 3) the impact of your proposal on eBay’s long-term growth and profitability, 4) the leverage, operational risks, and leadership structure of a combined entity, 5) the resulting implications of these factors on valuation, and 6) GameStop’s governance and executive incentives.

eBay is a strong, resilient business that has delivered meaningful results over the past several years. We have sharpened our strategic focus, strengthened execution, enhanced our marketplace and seller experience, and consistently returned capital to shareholders. With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s Board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.

Our team remains focused on executing our strategy and driving our business forward in the best interests of the company, our shareholders, our employees, and millions of buyers and sellers around the world.

Sincerely,

/s/ Paul S. Pressler

Paul S. Pressler
Chairman of the Board of Directors, eBay

We’ll see if that’s the end to this rather bizarre plan, or if Cohen will go Veruca Salt/David Ellison and press harder until he gets what he wants.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 Finishes Mortal Kombat II’s Debut

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The Devil Wears Prada 2

The Devil Wears Prada 2 was once again the top of the box office with an estimated $43 million. The film has grossed $144.8 million domestically after two weeks. Internationally, the movie grossed $32.4 million over the week to bring that to $288.4 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $433.2 million in just two weeks. The original film grossed $326.6 million worldwide in its entire run in 2006, so we can say this sequel is a success and maybe we’ll see a third?

Mortal Kombat II debuted in second place with an estimated $40 million domestically and $23 million internationally for a worldwide gross of $63 million. While that might not seem great, the reboot debuted in 2021 with $23.3 million domestically and went on to gross $42.3 million domestically and $84.4 million worldwide.

Michael spun into third place with $36.5 million domestically to bring that to $240.5 million. Internationally, the movie grossed $96.8 million over the week to bring that to $336.9 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $577.4 million.

The Sheep Detectives debuted in fourth place with $15.9 million domestically and $12.1 million internationally for a worldwide debut of $28 million.

Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour Live in 3D debuted and rounded up the top five with $7.5 million domestically and $12.6 million internationally for a worldwide total of $20.1 million.

In comic related movies…

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea added $125,000 domestically which is now $1.3 million and it also grossed about $100,000 internationally which is now $4.3 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $5.7 million.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie – Infinity Castle is at $137 million domestically. Internationally, the movie has grossed $604.5 million. Its worldwide gross is $741.5 million.

All You Need Is Kill remained at $695,290 domestically and internationally gained a little and is at $46,328 for a worldwide gross of $741,618.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution remained at $16.6 million domestically. Internationally, it also sits at $27.9 million for a worldwide gross of $44.5 million.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc remained at $43.4 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added a little and has grossed $119.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $162.5 million.

Numbers have 30 movies grossing $161,851,526 from 30,737 theaters for an average of $5,265.69. That is compared to last week’s 72 movies grossing $172,960,623 from 30,271 theaters for an average of $5,713.74.

GameStop’s attempt to buy eBay Gets Weirder with Account Bans and Dissing It’s Own Company

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GameStop

We earlier reported that GameStop has made moves to take over eBay. The rather odd plan features a bill of at least $55.5 billion in a cash and stock deal. Keep in mind, GameStop’s market value is $12 billion while eBay’s is $46 billion. Beyond that, and the rather odd interviews, not great details in how it’d actually work, the drama has gotten stranger and stranger.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen leaned into the “meme” nature of the franchise, launching a stunt to raise funds to take over eBay by… selling items on eBay. That move included signs, mugs, carpeting, and other rare items. But, 10 hours after Cohen announced the plan, the account was suspended by eBay.

Cohen was suspended due to “activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk.” Like GameStop’s stock had previously experienced, and Cohen thinks is a good thing, the stunt was picked up likely by the Meme stock devotees that previously drove up the stock price. In 2020, traders sent GameStop’s stock up more than 1,700% in weeks. But, for all the silliness, Cohen brought austerity to the company, closing stores and laying off about 4,500 employees since he became CEO in 2023. The market cap for the company increased to about $12 billion from $1.3 billion in 2021.

A pair of socks that was listed were at about $14,188 before the account was suspended. But, that did include a signed copy of the offer letter to eBay’s board. Cohen’s account went over eBay’s limit for posting items totally over $50,000 a month which gave Cohen a warning.

The account is currently live though with 36 items totaling around $157,000 in sales so far with about 4 days to go. You can get a GameStop Mug for the steal of a price of $3,151 or GameStop Mousepad for $1,525 with current bids. Once again eBay isn’t so much about actual value of things, but perceived value and at times, getting in as part of the trolling. Modern collecting summed up with one experience.

If the eBay auction to take over eBay doesn’t work, Cohen is also going a different route, going all David Ellison/Veruca Salt in that he really wants it.

Cohen spoke to Business Insider‘s Sarah E. Needleman and stated that one bit of motivation in his wanting eBay is that he’s just lost interest in his current job.

I did not want to be the CEO of GameStop. I want to be the CEO of eBay. I’m passionate about eBay. I believe in eBay’s business. I wasn’t passionate about GameStop. That’s the difference.

I know if I was a board or stock holder in a company, I’d feel perfectly comfortable that the CEO states they’ve lost passion about the company they currently lead.

Much like Salt and her wanting the Golden Goose, and Ellison and his wanting of Warner Bros. Discovery, Cohen has taken the lesson as don’t give up:

I’m going to continue doing whatever I need to do in order to buy the business. I’m going to make myself CEO of both.

Cohen’s interview doubles down in his plan to extract more profit from eBay by cutting fat but also attacks the company’s leadership saying they’re “milking it” and it’s “simply a paycheck for them,” as well as calling them too comfortable and undisciplined under its current leadership.

Tokyopop Launches Tokyopop Kids Imprint

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Tokyopop Kids logo

Tokyopop has announced the launch of a new publishing imprint for younger readers – Tokyopop Kids. The imprint is dedicated to publishing manga, graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, and Spanish-language titles, all aimed at children up to 12 years old.

Tokyopop Kids builds on the company’s nearly 30-year publishing legacy and will become a trusted brand in the children’s publishing arena by offering inclusive, imaginative, and high-quality titles that appeal to kids, parents, educators, and librarians. The imprint will debut its first releases in the Fall of 2026.

Tokyopop Kids is founded on a premise to empower young readers through imaginative and inclusive visual storytelling. It will become a trusted source foryoung readers and parents seeking manga, international graphic novels, and illustrated chapter book and picture book content. Fundamental themes include offering stories that ignite curiosity and wonder with imagination and adventure, celebrating cultural diversity with global stories and inclusive characters, and promoting literacy and age-appropriate narratives through engaging visual formats.

GameStop announces $55.5 billion plan to buy eBay. CEO Ryan Cohen goes on CNBC in a Combative Interview

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GameStop

When proposing a multi-billion dollar plan, it’s best to not go on television and come off as combative and unable to answer questions. That tends to not win confidence you can pull it off. But, that’s what CEO Ryan Cohen of GameStop did after announcing a $55.5 billion plan to take over eBay. On March 3, GameStop announced plans to take over the auction/store site, offering $125 a share in a deal consisting of cash and stock. That was a 46% premium to eBay’s February 4 closing price. GameStop has acquired a 5% stake in eBay through derivatives and beneficial ownership of common stock.

GameStop’s deal would consist of 50% cash and 50% GameStop common stock. The deal would be funded by GameStop’s cash and liquid investments, roughly $9.4 billion and third-party acquisition financing of which TD Securities has offered $20 billion.

eBay’s stock climbed 5% on Monday to $109, showing a skeptical reception by investors. GameStop’s market value is $12 billion while eBay’s is $46 billion. GameStop’s stock has risen slightly over a low on May 5 but has dropped since the announced was made.

Cohen is convinced that eBay could be even more valuable focusing on excessive spending by the company. eBay spent $2.4 billion on sales and marketing in 2025 while adding 1 million net active buyers. Cohen states they can deliver $2 billion in cost reductions within 12 months:

  • $1.2 billion from Sales & Marketing. More spend is not producing more users on a marketplace with near-universal brand recognition.
  • $300 million from Product Development. Product Development expense grew 11% in fiscal 2025 against revenue growth of 8%.
  • $500 million from General & Administrative. Consolidated finance, HR, real estate, legal, IT, and professional services across the combined company.

The plan is to also use GameStop’s stores as a national network for authentication intake, fulfillment, and live commerce.

Cohen would serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the combined company… which makes his CNBC interview all the more troubling.

Cohen went on CNBC stating this is just the start and there hasn’t been a discussion with eBay’s management.

For obvious reasons, eBay is a public company, there’s all kinds of perverse financial incentives from the board to the management team. So there’s only one way to approach something like this.

In the interview, Cohen couldn’t go into details, instead referring individuals to the website the company has set up regarding the deal.

GameStop itself has had financial issues, becoming a “meme stock” that drove up its price in 2021. It drove shares up 1,500% in two weeks driven by Reddit. It was trading at about $5 a share before jumping to close to $60 and then eventually back down to about $10 a share. It’s since risen and steady in the $20s range for share price.

GameStop, while mostly known for its video game selection, has pushed heavy into the collectible space. Recently they’ve gone further into buying and selling graded/authenticated collectibles. eBay is a leader in the collectible space and has in recent years attempted to pivot to compete more with live auction sites that have risen in popularity. You can see the crossover between the two businesses and how they’re benefit from each other, but that still doesn’t mean this is a good or wise deal.

Z2 Announces U.S Sales and Distribution Partnership With Two Rivers Distribution

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Z2

Two Rivers Distribution, an Ingram Publisher Services LLC brand, has announced a U.S. sales and distribution agreement with Z2, the New York-based publisher known for its innovative blend of graphic storytelling and music driven collaborations.

Founded on a mission to bring musicians, creators, and fans together through visual narratives, Z2 has become a force in the graphic novel space. Its catalog spans original works and highprofile collaborations with artists across genres, including rock, hiphop, pop, and metal. With a growing list of bestselling titles and a passionate global fanbase, Z2 continues to redefine what graphic storytelling can be.

Through this partnership, Z2 will benefit from Two Rivers’ national sales expertise, operational scale, and longstanding relationships across independent bookstores, major retailers, libraries, and specialty markets.

Avery Hill Co-Publisher and Co-Founder Dave White Steps Down after 14 Years

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Avery Hill

After fourteen years at Avery Hill Publishing, Co-Publisher and Co-Founder Dave White will be stepping away, effective this month. Co-Publisher and Co-Founder Ricky Miller steps up as Publisher.

White and Miller co-founded Avery Hill Publishing together in 2012, along with Michael Gosden. They were school friends, then in a band together, and then Miller contributed to White’s music blog. Next White decided that he wanted to turn his attention to physical media and started a zine compiling prose, illustration, poetry, and comics called Tiny Dancing, which he produced on the printer at his day job. As editor of Tiny Dancing (to which Miller contributed his comic, ‘Metroland’), White discovered future Avery Hill stars like Tim Bird, Owen Pomery and Simon Moreton. Having that physical object to share with comics stores and readers was irresistible, and White and Miller plunged into the world of comics publishing from there.

In recent years, White has edited graphic novels including Owen Pomery’s science fiction scarcity adventure The Hard Switch, Shanti Rai’s fantasy tale Sennen, and Tim Bird’s heartwarming autobiography and tribute to his mother, Adrift on a Painted Sea. “As an editor, and as part of the driving ethos of Avery Hill, I’ve always looked for those stories that I wanted to read and wasn’t seeing anywhere else—and that readers wouldn’t have an opportunity to experience if Avery Hill didn’t publish them,” says White.

Miller will continue the publisher’s growing legacy, working to build the careers of new young UK cartoonists and champion the power of UK creators and comics around the world.

Upcoming from the publisher this year include a graphic novel adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s queer classic Orlando, by Jules Scheele and a first-ever fiction graphic novel from nonfiction comics luminary Darryl Cunningham, a science fiction adventure called John of the Night, and the concluding part of B Mure’s ecological hopepunk fantasy series, Ismyre.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 Debuts in First, Showing Florals for Spring Doesn’t Go Out of Style

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The Devil Wears Prada 2

As expected, The Devil Wears Prada 2 debuted in first place at the weekend box office grossing an estimated $77 million. International Runway did even better, over doubling that with $156 million for a worldwide opening of $233.6 million. The original film opened in 2006 with $27.5 million domestically and went on to gross $124.7 million domestically and $326.6 million worldwide. It’ll be interesting to see how much runway the film has overall, but it’s a clear success.

Michael played backup sliding into second place with an estimated $54 million to bring its domestic total to $183.8 million. Over the week, it grossed $119.7 million internationally to bring that to $240.1 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed $423.9 million showing people like their Michael Jackson, flaws and all.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie came in third place with $12.1 million to bring its domestic total to $402.7 million. Over the week, the film added $46.5 million to its international gross which is now $491.5 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $894.2 million.

Project Hail Mary was in fourth place slipping one spot grossing $8.6 million to bring its domestic total to $318.3 million. Over the week, it grossed $12.1 million to bring its international gross to $320.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $638.4 million.

Hokum debuted in fifth with $6.4 million domestically and no international gross reporting.

Outside the top five in sixth, is the ill conceived and maligned Animal Farm with grossed $3.4 million domestically and no international gross. This film will likely quickly be sent to the slaughterhouse.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea debuted in ninth with $1 million domestically and it also has grossed $4.2 million internationally for $5.2 million worldwide.

In comic related movies…

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie – Infinity Castle is at $137 million domestically. Internationally, the movie has grossed $604.5 million. Its worldwide gross is $741.5 million.

All You Need Is Kill remained at $695,290 domestically and internationally gained a little and is at $46,328 for a worldwide gross of $741,618.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution remained at $16.6 million domestically. Internationally, it also sits at $27.9 million for a worldwide gross of $44.5 million.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc remained at $43.4 million domestically. Internationally, the movie added a little and has grossed $119.1 million. Worldwide, the movie has grossed $162.5 million.

Numbers have 72 movies grossing $172,960,623 from 30,271 theaters for an average of $5,713.74. That is compared to last week’s 74 movies grossing $152,398,778 from 32,057 theaters for an average of $4,753.99.

Wizards of the Coast releases Statement Regarding Unionization Effort and Hires Anti-Union Law Firm

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UWOTC

Wizards of the Coast has responded to unionization efforts by the Magic: The Gathering – Arena team. The proposed union had asked WotC to recognize the union by today, May Day, in a symbolic support of workers.

On Wednesday, members of the union posted WotC’s response:

We have received the filing and are reviewing it carefully. Our employees are the lifeblood of what makes us great, and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every person feels heard, valued, and supported. We believe we have a strong connection with everyone at Wizards of the Coast and that direct relationship with our employees is essential to how we work together to capture the imagination of our fans and players, inspiring a lifetime love of our games. We appreciate hearing about the needs and interests of our employees through this filing and will respond through the appropriate process.

Wizards of the Coast has the ability to recognize the union or the move to unionize will be put to a vote.

WotC also responded by hiring legal counsel from Fisher & Phillips LLP, a law firm known for its work in labor relations and, specifically, for helping companies remain union-free workplaces. The NLRB case file, dated April 27, shows WotC has hired Alex Desrosiers and Jack O`Connor as legal representatives.

In their announcement, the union has said they are negotiating for:

  • Layoff Protections: Employees currently live in fear of suddenly losing their jobs, with no warning and through no fault of their own.
  • Remote Work Protections: Leadership is instituting a mandatory RTO, forcing numerous remote employees to return to a physical office or be forced to resign. This painful choice is splitting our employees between their homes, communities, and the jobs they love.
  • Generative AI Protections: Pressure has ramped up from leadership to adopt LLMs and Gen AI tools in various aspects of our work. WOTC lacks a robust AI policy, leaving opportunities for abuse and communicating a level of disrespect for artists and other creatives.
  • Sustainable Workload: Employees’ experiences with “crunch” (intense, mandatory unpaid overtime) to meet deadlines vary widely by team and project, with some teams crunching on a regular basis just to get planned work out the door.

They are asking individuals to sign a letter to show their support for the union.

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