Unionised Blizzard workers vote through contract giving them a say on genAI adoption and protection against layoffs
Unionised Blizzard workers have voted to ratify a new contract with their employer that will "require" Blizzard to negotiate with workers over any usage of generative AI tools in their workplace, in addition to giving laid-off workers the right to be "recalled" into open positions across Blizzard for 14 months after the date of their layoff announcement. Read more
Unionized Blizzard employees have approved a new contract with their employer, which will require the company to negotiate about the use of generative AI in the workplace. This contract also grants laid-off workers the right to be recalled into open positions within Blizzard for 14 months after the layoff announcement. The agreement covers approximately 1,900 staff members, including those working on popular titles like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch, and Diablo.
Additionally, the union contracts reinforce several workplace benefits, such as wage increases, grievance procedures, remote work options, just cause protections, and disability accommodations, setting industry-wide standards for video game workers in the United States. This move reflects the growing anxiety about worker precarity under Microsoft's ownership, as the company continues to grow its profits.
The announcement comes amid ongoing workforce cutbacks at Xbox, with 1,600 employees laid off in July and plans to eliminate another 1,600. The Communications Workers of America (CWA), the umbrella union representing these workers, have been actively driving a unionization effort across Blizzard in recent years. Microsoft's gaming division is currently under a boycott due to the company's business relationships with the Israeli military.
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