Vallejo Acrylics workers, on strike (Indefinite)

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

This past 26th of November, the workers of Vallejo Acrylics, started an strike, in search of better payment and improved labour conditions.

The situation of the works in the factory of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Spain) is dire: lack of safety and hygienic protocols, low payment,"major deficiencies" in the maintenance of the building and the "obsolescence" of the machinery, among other serious problems, such as the lack of a protocol against workplace harassment.

 

The workers have the nearly total support of the Spanish wargaming and miniature painting community, and from other countries.

 

Vallejo Acrylics,the management, does not seem to want to sit down to negotiate with the striking workers for now, and the latter may take new protest measures. Some members of the Spanish community are calling for a boycott of the company to force it to negotiate.

 

Some extra links (In spanish):

https://www.viaempresa.cat/es/empresa/98-plantilla-acrylicos-vallejo-se-suma-primera-jornada-huelga-indefinida_2206222_102.html

 

https://bsky.app/profile/cgtcatalunya.bsky.social/post/3lbxf5taocs22

Edited November 29 by Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf

[Joe]

I mean, it's probably worth noting the company was bought out by asset strippers at the start of the year and there's been a very noticeable decline in the quality of Vallejo's paints since.

 

Days are numbered.

[Redcomet]

On 11/29/2024 at 1:28 PM, Joe said:

I mean, it's probably worth noting the company was bought out by asset strippers at the start of the year and there's been a very noticeable decline in the quality of Vallejo's paints since.

 

Days are numbered.

Sad to hear this. 

Edited December 5 by Firedrake Cordova
Politics

[Marshal Rohr]

As Joe said, they got bought by raiders a while back. I stopped buying anything that wasn’t made before then. 

[Evil Eye]

Oh cripes. I hadn't heard about the buyout; was going to get some of their Metal Colours but might think twice about that now.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Claims of an unsafe working environment are concerning.  

 

2 hours ago, Joe said:

there's been a very noticeable decline in the quality of Vallejo's paints since.

Would you be able to elaborate? It's the first I've heard of this, but I've also not been paying attention.

 

 

 

[AutumnEffect]

Groan. Their white spray primer is/was soooo good. 

Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.

[Emperor Ming]

Amazon and Gw may have the right idea

 

Servitors cant strike

[Cleon]

1 hour ago, Firedrake Cordova said:

Claims of an unsafe working environment are concerning.  

 

Would you be able to elaborate? It's the first I've heard of this, but I've also not been paying attention.

 

 

 

I hadn't heard of the buyout being behind it, but they changed the paints to a 'new formula' early this year, coverage is worse and its really prone to frothing making it hard to use and almost useless for drybrushing.

[Firedrake Cordova]

42 minutes ago, Cleon said:

changed the paints to a 'new formula' early this year, coverage is worse and its really prone to frothing making it hard to use and almost useless for drybrushing.

That's surprising - I thought the feedback of the new Game Colour and Model Colour lines had been generally positive.  My bottles of "new formula" Sunblast Yellow and Gory Red cover better than the bottles they replaced - I wonder if it's certain colours, a bad batch, or a widespread issue?

Edited November 29 by Firedrake Cordova

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

34 minutes ago, Cleon said:

I hadn't heard of the buyout being behind it, but they changed the paints to a 'new formula' early this year, coverage is worse and its really prone to frothing making it hard to use and almost useless for drybrushing.

Agree.

I bought two blacks from Vallejo, equivalent to Abaddon Black, and are far less than inks. They don't cover, just that.

[Lord Marshal]

I picked up a German Grey post-reformulation and despite all the influencer shilling it was definitely much worse than the one I had prior. Easier to thin down, but coverage was far worse - separation was also pretty bad. The non-Metal Colour metallics were also considerably worse. The Game Air paints I tried did seem improved at least, but I may have gotten lucky with that.

 

Good on the workers though. 

 

Edited November 29 by Lord Marshal

[Matcap86]

The new formulation has me on a quest to get a hobby lifetime supply of the paints I use the most as the new formulations are at the very least quite a bit different from the old paints and at the worst just bad.

 

Sad to hear this is probably a declining situation as Vallejo was my mainstay of paints.

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

I wish the best for all the employees and hope they land on their feet. 

Edited December 5 by Firedrake Cordova
Politics

[Grim Dog Studios]

1 hour ago, Lord Marshal said:

I picked up a German Grey post-reformulation and despite all the influencer shilling it was definitely much worse than the one I had prior. Easier to thin down, but coverage was far worse - separation was also pretty bad. The non-Metal Colour metallics were also considerably worse. The Game Air paints I tried did seem improved at least, but I may have gotten lucky with that.

 

Good on the workers though. 

 

I recently purchased a bottle of their GC Black Grey and was having difficulty with it separating whilst on the mini, leaving two different shades of grey. I didn’t know anything about what had happened at Vallejo until reading this thread but this goes some way to explaining why this new bottle is so terrible!!

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

Louise Sugden shows her support Louise Sugden shows her support for striking workers!

 

[crimsondave]

OMG.  Are you telling me 70.950 isn't a good black anymore?  I considered it possibly the best paint ever.  Of ANY color.  Please tell me they didn't change it!

[CommissarXin]

As a slave to Amazon I'm definitely behind workers needing safe work conditions and living wages. Hopefully they get what they need. 

[gideon stargreave]

The union in the photos (cgt) is a pretty powerful one, and fairly militant, so I’m hoping for a good resolution to this. 

[Antarius]

21 hours ago, Joe said:

I mean, it's probably worth noting the company was bought out by asset strippers at the start of the year and there's been a very noticeable decline in the quality of Vallejo's paints since.

 

Days are numbered.

I am sad to hear that; I've just bought a bunch of Vallejo paints, but definitely won't be buying anything else from them. Here's hoping the workers' demands are met!

[Alby the Slayer]

I'm using Vallejo for years now.

 

I love the new Model Color line.

 

Sometimes some pot is not of a good quality.

 

This is is bad news indeed. I hope the conditions will be better for the workers in the future.

 

Seems crazy to think they will go under. I thought Vallejo was one of the major acrilic paints producer.

[phandaal]

Paints aside, Vallejo's line of Diorama FX (earth, sand, mud etc) is very good. Lots of different colors and textures to work with, great volume for the price. It would be a shame to lose that!

[templargdt]

Two thin coats it is then?

[FoursCompany]

1 hour ago, templargdt said:

Two thin coats it is then?

Maybe, depending on what you’re looking for.

 

based on a review of TTC I read recently (by Goonhammer), TTC is highly expensive at $335.26 per liter (beating even Citadel at $291.71). Compare that to Vallejo MC at $208.57. 
 

If you’re trying to find a similar alternative cost  wise, TTC is likely not the way to go. 

Edited November 30 by FoursCompany

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

10 hours ago, Antarius said:

I am sad to hear that; I've just bought a bunch of Vallejo paints, but definitely won't be buying anything else from them. Here's hoping the workers' demands are met!

Vallejo Acrylics is,well, was, my main source of paints nearly since I started in wargames(decades ago). But nowadays the quality is declining terribly in some branches. I don't have access here to the historical line,just Game Color, and this one doesn't worth the money for me in thus current moment. Adding this strike, and the fair demands of the workers I must add,only hurries me more to find other products.

 

It's a bit sad for me, but can't give more money to a company who sells those products with so low quality AND mistreated it's workers so much.