CWA launches United Videogame Workers union in North America

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is starting a new union for video game workers across North America and Canada. This union, called United Videogame Workers (UVW-CWA), aims to strengthen workers' rights regardless of their job status or which studio they work for. The CWA has been involved in several successful union efforts within the US video game industry in recent years. Companies like Bethesda Game Studios and Blizzard have announced unions in 2024. The UVW-CWA offers a different approach by allowing any worker in the video game industry—whether freelance or full-time—to join. This includes artists, writers, designers, testers, and musicians. Membership fees will vary based on income. The UVW-CWA's goal is to empower workers and tackle issues such as unfair treatment by employers. They plan to create a video game worker bill of rights to set clear standards on hiring practices, workload expectations, and healthcare for contract workers. They also aim to raise awareness about workers' rights and support those affected by layoffs. The new union's first campaign will focus on job losses. A petition will be shared at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to rally support for this initiative. The announcement comes at a challenging time for the video game industry, which has seen significant layoffs and studio closures. Over 25,000 employees are estimated to have lost their jobs since early 2023, with many workers reporting layoffs in recent months.