A majority of the developers working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble have voted to unionize under the Communication Workers of America (CWA). This new unit become members of CWA Local 9510, and parent company Microsoft has recognized the union. They are the latest group of developers within Blizzard to form a union, with almost 2,000 workers within the company having now joined the CWA.
The new unit includes software engineers, designers, artists, quality assurance testers and producers. They follow the 500-plus-person team who worked on World of Warcraft, who organized last year. Other teams within Blizzard who have since unionized include the Diablo and Overwatch teams, as well as Platform & Technology workers and the Story and Franchise Development team. Other unions within the Microsoft stable of studios include Raven Software and ZeniMax Workers United.
Jason Justice, president of CWA Local 9510, said in a statement, “The Hearthstone team’s organizing effort is proof that creativity and collective power can go hand-in-hand. These are some of the most talented developers and artists in the industry, and their decision to form a union sends a clear message that building great games starts with respecting those who are behind them.”
According to several of the organizing committee members, they’re seeking job security and protections. QA test analyst Carol Blean said, “I support our union because we deserve to be heard and respected. Real solutions, not free therapy or relocation suggestions, are needed to address being overworked, underpaid, and forced into unreasonable choices.”