Blizzard employees have ratified their first union contracts

Workers at Blizzard Entertainment represented by the Communications Workers of America have voted to ratify union contracts with their employer. This inaugural contract has been reached after about two years of bargaining. The terms cover about 1,900 Blizzard employees, including those that are already represented by the CWA.

According to the CWA, the contracts include provisions such as wage increases, grievance procedures, a three-day in-office hybrid work week, "just cause" protections, accommodations for remote work and disability, and an extra four weeks of severance regardless of tenure. This arrangement also requires that Blizzard "discuss, evaluate and bargain over the usage of artificial intelligence in the workplace." Notably, the contract also gives workers the right to be "recalled" into open positions at any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date their layoff is announced. That could be a big win in an industry that has been plagued by deep job cuts in recent years, including at Blizzard owner Microsoft and its Xbox gaming division.

"I believe that the positive change we have won will ripple out and help make the games industry as a whole a better place for workers and players alike," said Simon Hedrick, Overwatch bargaining committee member and Quality Analyst. "This contract is the start of something greater, and I urge everyone to remember: when we fight together, we win together."

Blizzard employees have taken several actions toward unionizing over the years, mostly through the CWA. Workers from specific games including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble have made strides toward organizing, as have members of Blizzard's Platform & Technology, Story and Franchise Development, and Quality Assurance units.