What happened to that good ol mutiny
I wasn't going to bring it up until I knew how the story ended, but sure I'll give an update:
My manager pulled out all the mind games he could in our meeting. He waited until we had the 3 days off for Easter, visually displayed our outstanding work, and opened the meeting with subtle references to mistakes in an effort to make us think this is somehow our fault. This strategy worked on 3 of the 5 designers, leaving just me and the most seasoned designer to stand up for the rest. Unfortunately, as soon as that other designer started butting heads with the boss, he was thrown out of the meeting.
The meeting continued with me not knowing that my manager's strategy worked on the other designers, so when I tried standing up for them, they just sat there with their tails between their legs. At the end of the meeting, my boss sent another email asking everyone how they wanted to contribute their unpaid overtime. But unlike last time where everyone was up in arms, this time they each reacted positively to it. I still haven't responded to the email, but I
have printed out my letter of resignation.
I also have a job interview tonight with a competitor company, offering higher wages, better benefits, and the opportunity to work remotely. I have a backup job ready to go even if I don't land this one.