“The union framework is inherently adversarial,” Mr. Hasan wrote. “That dynamic doesn’t reflect who we are as a company, how we interact, how we make decisions, or where we need to go.”

The petition started by Current Affairs has called on Kickstarter to recognize the union and to cease any retaliation or intimidation practices. In statements, Kickstarter has said it has never engaged in union-busting activities.

“We have not retaliated against anyone for their involvement in organizing, and in fact have worked hard over the last six months to foster an environment where the right to organize and the rules around that process are respected,” the company said in a statement .

So far, neither the union nor those who signed the petition have called for a boycott of Kickstarter . While such a move would likely hurt the company’s bottom line, it would also affect the ability of some users to fund projects and make a living.

Still, the creators who signed the statement said they would support a boycott if one was called. Many said that it was their financial reliance on the platform that encouraged the creators’ solidarity with employees.

“So much of our operations and business is reliant on Kickstarter,” said C.J. Joughin , an independent comics artist from Reno, Nev. “We view the employees at Kickstarter as kind of our co-workers. They’re the ones that allow us to be able to have our business.”