Workers from Blizzard’s Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble teams have decided to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). More than 100 employees, including software engineers, designers, and quality testers, voted to join CWA Local 9510 in Irvine, California. This adds to over 1,900 other Activision Blizzard employees who have also chosen to form unions. Microsoft, the parent company, has acknowledged this union.
Dominic Calkosz, a game designer and member of the organizing committee, shared, “It’s easy for companies to overlook individual concerns. By coming together, we can create a unified voice that the industry must listen to.”
This development follows a visit from CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. to Blizzard’s campus. He met with workers to applaud the growing trend of organizing in the gaming industry. Unionized employees at Activision Blizzard have recently joined the World of Warcraft Bargaining Committee to engage in negotiations confidently.
A recent trend in the gaming sector shows that more employees are leaning towards unionization. In fact, a survey from the Game Developers Conference in 2022 revealed that around 24% of game developers were considering union representation. This reflects a significant shift in the culture of the gaming industry, echoing broader labor movements seeking to improve workplace conditions and fairness across various sectors.
In related news, employees at EA and the CWA released a statement regarding the company’s potential acquisition. They expressed concerns about being left out of negotiations and warned that any job losses could be unnecessary and driven solely by investor interests.
For further context, the push for unionization in the tech and gaming industries isn’t new. In the 1980s and 90s, unions started gaining traction in various sectors as workers demanded better pay and conditions. Today’s movement highlights how evolving workplace dynamics continue to spark these discussions.
This evolving landscape in the gaming industry underscores a growing desire among workers to advocate for their rights and reshape their work environments.
