This week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced that more than 450 developers of Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo team have voted to unionize under the CWA. The successful outcome of this effort means workers will now be represented by CWA Local 9510 in Irvine, California; Local 1118 in Albany, New York; and Local 6215 in Austin, Texas.
The newly formed union will represent a wide range of jobs across Blizzard, including designers, engineers, artists, and support staff. Microsoft, Blizzard’s parent company, has officially recognized the union. This unionization campaign is not an isolated event at Blizzard, as earlier this month, the studio’s Story and Franchise Development team also voted to unionize.
“With every subsequent round of mass layoffs, I’ve witnessed the dread in my coworkers grow stronger because it feels like no amount of hard work is enough to protect us,” said Diablo producer and organizing committee member Kelly Yeo (via Game Developer). “This is just the first step for us joining a movement spreading across an industry that is tired of living in fear.”
Workers also shared personal experiences that illustrate the atmosphere of uncertainty and instability driving the union effort. “The day after the third round of mass layoffs, I walked into the office, and when I tried to open the door to the cafeteria, my badge was denied. For a moment, I wondered if getting breakfast was how I’d find out I was part of that round,” added designer Ryan Littleton. While Littleton’s situation ended up being just a technical glitch, it doesn’t help the overall cloud of uncertainty. “None of us should have to live with that constant worry that we might be let go at the drop of a hat.”
Senior software engineer Nav Bhatti framed the initiative as a response to long-standing industry challenges, saying this sort of stress puts people in a fight-or-flight mode, but the union helps them to be able to “stand our ground in the industry.”
CWA Local 9510 president Jason Justice pointed to California’s growing role in labor movements. “What’s happening here is part of a much larger story about turning the tide in an industry that has long overlooked its labor,” he said. “Entertainment workers across film, television, music, and now video games are standing together to have a seat at the table.”
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