Collective Bargaining
Ongoing coverage on Collective Bargaining.
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Demystifying unions: What games leaders need to know
This article provides insights for video game company leaders on understanding and working with labor unions, emphasizing a collaborative rather than combative approach. It highlights new UK Employment Rights Act changes that mandate union access and discusses how to foster ongoing, productive relationships, noting that strikes are a last resort. The piece also touches on the importance of seeking legal advice and separating wider union issues from individual circumstances, using the Rockstar Games vs. IWGB case as an example.
Ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's launch next week, unionised Activision testers have voted to authorise a strike
Unionized quality assurance workers at Activision have voted to authorize a strike, citing stalled negotiations over wages, accommodations, and worker protections, including concerns over AI usage. This action comes just a week before the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and follows recent layoffs at Xbox, adding to the pressure on Activision to reach a fair contract.
King signs collective agreement with Swedish trade unions following call to industrial action last week
King has signed a collective agreement with Swedish trade unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer following a call for industrial action. The agreement, reached after over a year of negotiations, aims to ensure job security and greater employee influence over workplace terms and conditions. Union leaders hailed the outcome as a significant victory and proof of the power of organized labor.
King workers call strike after collective agreement negotiations stall
Union workers at King, the maker of Candy Crush and a subsidiary of Microsoft, are preparing to strike on September 25, 2026, after collective agreement negotiations with the Unionen trade union stalled. The union, representing a significant portion of King's white-collar employees, seeks a collective agreement to enhance job security and workplace influence, despite the company stating its current terms are fair and competitive.
King workers to strike in Sweden following rejection of collective bargaining agreement
Swedish trade unions Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer have issued a strike notice against King after the company rejected a proposed collective bargaining agreement. If mediation fails, King employees will strike on September 25. King executives argue their current benefits package exceeds what a collective agreement would offer and that implementing one would negatively impact operations.
Nearly two thousand Blizzard developers secure a union contract that includes AI safeguards and layoff protection
Nearly two thousand unionized Blizzard Entertainment developers, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have secured a new contract. This agreement includes wage increases, a hybrid work week, and significant protections regarding layoffs and the use of artificial intelligence in development. CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. lauded the contract as a new industry standard.
Hundreds of union workers rally across North America to protest Xbox layoffs
Hundreds of unionized video game workers rallied across North America to protest recent layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox division. Members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and allies gathered to call out corporate greed and demand fair contracts, citing multiple rounds of job cuts impacting studios like Obsidian, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed 3,200 job eliminations, with 1,600 immediate layoffs, leading to legal action from the CWA against Microsoft for alleged mishandling of the cuts.
UK workers request voluntary union recognition at Rockstar
Rockstar Games employees in the UK, organized as the Rockstar Game Workers Union (RGWU) and affiliated with the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB), have formally requested voluntary union recognition. This move aims to establish collective bargaining rights concerning pay transparency, flexible working, and overtime. The request follows ongoing legal disputes over alleged unfair dismissals and accusations of union busting by Rockstar, which the company denies. If recognized, RGWU would make Rockstar the second UK developer with a union.
