All game industry unions, explained

The gaming industry is changing. Over the past decade, after years of laying groundwork on social media and gathering places like the Game Developers Conference, workers are unionizing to combat past overwork, underpayment, and harassment. Unions are on the rise in the gaming industry as workers demand meaningful and sustainable change.

Changes in the industry follow national trends in worker organizations. over the past few years, Union elections and increased complaints of unfair labor As workers pledge to make a difference in the workplace. You can see this reflected in the headline as well. Campaigns are underway at big companies like Apple, Google, and Starbucks, alongside union efforts at Activision Blizzard and Microsoft.

These are gaming companies whose workers are unionized. We will continue to update this list as more unions emerge across the industry.

activision blizzard

Activision Blizzard made headlines in 2021 after being sued by the California Department of Civil Rights (formerly known as the Fair Employment and Housing Authority). world of warcraft and Call of Duty publishers claim sexism and harassment are widespread. (Activision Blizzard itself sued CRD This has launched a series of indictments and lawsuits, including an $18 million settlement lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Workers also took action. In July 2021, he was evicted by more than 1,000 workers, and efforts to organize have continued since then. Its three unions, two of which were officially recognized by the election of the National Labor Relations Board, are all made up of quality assurance workers. QA personnel often feel overlooked, underpaid, insecure contracts, and brutally overworked.

Activision Blizzard has made repeated moves to stall union efforts while maintaining the view that every worker at each studio should vote in union elections, not just QA workers. Multiple unfair labor complaints have been filed against the company, alleging anti-union sentiment and union busting.

With union initiatives underway at the company, Activision Blizzard converted all contract workers to permanent employees.

Activision Blizzard will be acquired by Microsoft as part of a $68.7 billion deal. The US Federal Trade Commission is suing Microsoft to contest the deal. After announcing the deal, Microsoft signed a neutrality pact with Communications Workers of America, promising not to interfere with union efforts at the company. Some believe that the deal on Microsoft’s part is an attempt to facilitate the acquisition through the FTC, but in any case, if the deal goes through, it will benefit Microsoft employees and potentially his Activision Blizzard. .

Blizzard Albany

Blizzard Albany, formerly known as Vicarious Visions, is working on Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo franchise. diablo 4This was the second studio to successfully unionize within Activision Blizzard. According to the CWA, QA workers won the vote 14-0 in December 2022 after a number of alleged union-busting efforts.

The group’s next step is to enter contract negotiations with Activision Blizzard.

raven software

Raven Software is the first studio to form a union within Activision Blizzard, and the effort will go live in December 2021. Call of Duty: Warzone A QA worker quit his job to protest what was seen as an unfair dismissal of a contract worker. QA Workers said he announced a union push in January 2022, but faced resistance from Activision Blizzard. Management reorganized the company and tried to control the QA negotiating department so that it was not eligible to vote. After a hearing, a judge ruled in his QA union’s favor, and Raven Software’s workers, called the Game Workers Alliance, won the union’s vote in May 2022 and was represented by the CWA.

proletariat

Boston-based studio Proletariat has announced that it has filed a union petition in late December 2022. spell break The developer was acquired by Activision Blizzard in June 2022. spell break Shut down, team working on it now world of warcraftElections have not yet been scheduled by the NLRB. Like Activision Blizzard’s other unionized studios, Proletariat is represented by CWA.

The units proposed by the proletariat include all non-manager positions. Currently there are about 60 workers.

Anemone Hug

Image: Blackbird Interactive/Focus Home Interactive

Union footholds in the gaming industry are not limited to the United States. Canadian studios are also working hard to organize their workplaces.Supported by developer Anemone Hug Interactive Hardspace: Shipbreaker Currently working on the original game and voted for unionization in 2022. Anemone His Hug Guild is part of the Canadian Animation Guild, International Theater Employee Local 938 Alliance. This unit focuses on local animation workers and now game developers.

card against humanity

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Workers at Cards Against Humanity, which makes the card game of the same name, unionized with the Chicago and Midwest Area Joint Labor Committee in 2020.Cards Against Humanity Management Recognizes Unit, Group Successfully Completes Contract Negotiations To Secure Better Benefits Including Succession Clause May be enacted if owner sells company.

Cards Against Humanity workers were likely the first to unionize in the industry.

keyword studio

Image: BioWare Edmonton/Electronic Arts

Contract QA Workers Supporting BioWare Dragon Age: Dreadwolf The Edmonton location of Keywords Studios has voted to unionize in June 2022. Like Anemone Hug, Keywords Studios is a Canadian studio. Their election passed the Alberta Labor Relations Commission and the group was organized under the Canadian Federation of Food and Commercial Workers, Local 401.

Labor union KWS Edmonton United began organizing after management implemented a return-to-office order employees disagreed with — employees underpaid and studios not offering paid time off when sick They said the commuting cost was too high considering

microsoft

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks

Microsoft’s Labor Neutrality Agreement with the CWA, which went into effect in June 2022, promised not to interfere with union organizing at the company, including Activision Blizzard, if the acquisition was successful. This may have been influenced by the acquisition itself, which is being scrutinized by the FTC, rather than a common approach, according to labor experts. Regardless, the deal benefits workers wishing to organize with the CWA.

We saw it first hand when QA guys from several ZeniMax studios announced their intention to form a union.

zenimax

About 300 QA workers at ZeniMax Media have unionized under the CWA. The group, called ZeniMax Workers United, avoided the NLRB election due to Microsoft’s neutrality pact. Instead, workers voted through union approval cards or online portals to prove their interest in the company. An overwhelming majority of those 300 workers voted “yes” and Microsoft approved the union.

As our work at Activision Blizzard proves, this was a much quicker process than the traditional route. ZeniMax Workers United includes employees from Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, and ZeniMax Online in Maryland and Texas.

The next step is for ZeniMax to appoint a negotiation committee and move on to contract negotiations.

Paizo

Image: Paizo

United Paizo Workers will form in 2021, making it one of the earliest unions in the industry. Paizo is one of the largest publishers of tabletop role-playing games. I am in charge of both Pathfinder and Starfinder. Studio workers have accused the Washington state-based company of unfair wages, harassment, and “administrative inadequacies.” Paizo voluntarily endorsed the union, and collective bargaining began shortly thereafter.

UPW reaches tentative agreement Early December 2022 with Paizo management on specific topics such as benefits, remote work, vacations and working hours. Negotiations continue until both sides agree on all terms.

tender claw

Image: soft nails

Los Angeles-based indie studio Tender Close has announced a union petition in July 2022. The entire proposed unit supported this effort. The group is called the Tender Claws Human Union, in honor of that game. virtual virtual reality, include In-game union for humans working for AIThe management of Tender Claws has endorsed the union along with representatives of the CWA. Contract negotiations he began in November and are ongoing.

Vodeo Games (now retired)

Image: Vodeo Games

Vodeo Games’ debut – and only – title is Beast Breakera slightly mixed turn-based game PeggleThe video game studio is currently closing in 2022 due to lack of funding. But their impact on the video game industry remains significant. Vodeo Workers United, represented by the CWA, was the first video game industry union in North America.