Hundreds of video game industry workers join a new union amid Trump's criticism of labor rights.
The United Video Game Workers Union is available to any worker in the industry in the United States and Canada, and will focus on job losses at the industrial level.
Since its creation, the United Videogame Workers union has experienced significant growth, reaching approximately 445 members amid widespread layoffs in the video game industry and an increase in federal repression of labor rights. This union was launched on March 19 during the Game Developers Conference, in collaboration with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Its goal is to promote unionization among developers without relying on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency designed to protect labor rights and working conditions.
Its first campaign will focus on the mass layoffs that have affected the industry; a GDC report from January indicated that 11 percent of surveyed developers had been laid off in the previous year. This initiative arises in a context where the Trump administration has been hostile to unions, issuing an executive order to end collective bargaining obligations with some federal agencies and firing an NLRB employee, weakening its operations. Both actions are being challenged in court.
The UVA-CWA does not have the same bargaining power as more conventional unions, as it does not require an NLRB election and lacks the legal obligation for companies to sit down and negotiate. However, it is seen as a potentially powerful alternative, especially at a time when the NLRB is facing significant challenges. “It’s illogical to expect to win NLRB certification before workers can come together and have power,” stated Tom Smith, senior organizing director at CWA.
Ben Sachs, a labor and industry professor at Harvard, warns that the situation with the NLRB is “much less friendly” than under the Biden administration, suggesting that relying on the NLRB at this time could be a risky strategy. Throughout recent history, most unions in the video game industry have formed with the support of the NLRB. One of the most notable cases was the union formed at Raven Software in 2022, which, after winning historic recognition in an NLRB election, has still not been able to secure its first contract nearly three years later.
Recently, CWA organizers took advantage of the GDC to generate interest in the United Videogame Workers, staging an impromptu march through Moscone West. A flyer distributed during the event stated that with the tumultuous start of the second Trump administration, two key agencies for workers are under attack.
Among the goals of the UVW-CWA is the drafting of a bill of rights for video game workers that standardizes working conditions, addressing issues such as hiring inequality and healthcare for contractors. This union, open to any worker in the video game industry in the United States and Canada, is expected to provide a framework for unity amid the challenges faced by workers.
Union efforts in the video game industry continue, with a recent vote in favor of representation by a group of research workers at Activision, as well as a strike authorization by more than 300 quality workers from ZeniMax Workers United. CWA organizers emphasize that the new union is a product of global organizing in the industry that has gained momentum since 2020.
In this context, the fundamental question is whether there are enough committed workers in the union to compel employers to negotiate not only by virtue of the law but through the collective strength they can gather.