In a significant move within the gaming industry, the staff from Blizzard’s Story and Franchise Development (SDF) team have successfully voted to establish a new union. This initiative has been undertaken in collaboration with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and has already received recognition from Microsoft, the parent company, in accordance with its labour neutrality agreement with the union. As a result, approximately 3,000 employees at the Xbox powerhouse are now part of a unionized workforce.
Voices from Within
Bucky Fisk, a principal editor at Blizzard and a member of the organizing committee, reflected on his extensive tenure at the company, stating, “After more than a decade working at Blizzard, I’ve seen all the highs and lows. For years, Blizzard has been a place where people could build their careers and stay for decades, but that stability’s been fading.” He emphasized that the formation of the union aims to preserve the unique culture of the company, ensure transparency in decision-making processes, and guarantee that policies are applied equitably across the board.
Sammi Key, an associate producer and fellow organizing committee member, shared her thoughts on the recent developments, noting, “These past couple of months have felt both important and cathartic given what’s happened to video game workers across the industry. At multiple points in my life, I’ve always been told to accept the way things are, but with organizing, we’re able to build a future better than we found it.”
This unionization effort follows closely on the heels of successful contract negotiations by staff at Raven Software and ZeniMax with Microsoft, indicating a growing trend towards collective bargaining within the gaming sector.
