Blizzard Workers Secure Union Contracts Amid Industry-Wide Job Insecurity
Blizzard video game workers have secured their first union contracts after years of organizing efforts. The Communications Workers (CWA) contract, negotiated by over 1,900 employees across various teams, includes recall rights and guaranteed severance packages for laid-off workers.
The union drive began in 2022 with quality assurance testers at Raven Software, who went on strike and launched a union drive after being abruptly laid off. The effort gained momentum, with teams from World of Warcraft, Diablo, and other Blizzard games voting to join CWA.
One of the key wins for the workers is the right to be recalled for up to 14 months after being laid off, allowing them to return to work if an open position becomes available. The contract also includes protections against outsourcing, guaranteeing that a laid-off worker cannot be replaced by a contractor for another year.
The union's victory has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, where workers have been facing mass layoffs and increased job insecurity since 2022. CWA has organized over 4,000 video game workers at Microsoft and has another 550 members in its United Video Game Workers affiliate.