Blizzard’s Story and Franchise Development (SFD) team became the latest group of video game workers to organize after they voted to form a union with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9510 on Tuesday.
After a majority of the video game company’s in-house cinematic, animation and narrative team endorsed union authorization, parent corporation Microsoft recognized CWA as the workers’ bargaining representative. Nearly 3,000 workers at Microsoft-owned studios have organized as part of the union’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) project to build better standards across the industry since 2023.
“After more than a decade working at Blizzard, I’ve seen all the highs and lows. For years, Blizzard has been a place where people could build their careers and stay for decades, but that stability’s been fading,” said Bucky Fisk, a principal editor and member of the organizing committee. “With a union, we’re able to preserve what makes this place special, secure real transparency in how decisions are made, and make sure policies are applied fairly to everyone.”
“These workers are setting the standard for animation, cinematics, and storytelling across the video game industry, creating the breathtaking cutscenes, trailers, and other narrative content that fans have come to love across all Blizzard franchises. We are excited to have them join our union family,” said Local 9510 President Jason Justice. “Their decision to organize is another powerful step toward ensuring that every worker at Blizzard and Microsoft has a seat at the table to shape the conditions under which their art is made.”
AFL-CIO Daily Brief