Union Contract with Microsoft Ratified by 1,900 Blizzard Developers and Workers (kotaku.com)
- Reference: 0185641100
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/26/09/14/0153249/union-contract-with-microsoft-ratified-by-1900-blizzard-developers-and-workers
- Source link: https://kotaku.com/blizzard-workers-union-contract-microsoft-2000732422
The workers now gain new protections "on issues such as generative AI, crediting, remote work, and layoffs."
> [The contract] acknowledges that AI tools "may be useful in the game development process to support human judgment and creativity and that AI-assisted workflows remain subject to appropriate human control and review for accuracy and quality." But it also stipulates that any implementation of AI technology that would materially impact work performed by union employees must have its impacts bargained over before it can be implemented.
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> Other sections cover issues such as crediting (guaranteeing that current and former employees are credited by name in all games they work on) and remote work (designating certain roles as hybrid in-office and providing procedures for individuals to apply for their roles to be fully remote). It also contains a lengthy section on how layoffs may be conducted, including a required 60-day notice period (or pay in lieu of notice), a guarantee of one week of severance for every six months of employment, and 14 months of recall rights. The contract also guarantees successorship, meaning if Blizzard is ever acquired by another company, the contract would remain intact.
"Workers also contractually locked in their current hybrid work schedule," [2]reports the gaming news site Aftermath , "meaning that Blizzard can't suddenly change it, as has been a [3]labor-unfriendly trend in the games industry over the past couple years."
> Fully remote workers scored a big win as well. "I'm remote, and we grandfathered everyone who is remote to stay remote, so we can't be magically called to an office that we've never worked at before," [said Diablo senior environment artist Mahreen Fatima].
And "The contract also elevated pay floor," [4]reports the Yakima Herald-Republic . "Across the board, workers secured a 1.25% pay increase, but some workers who were paid below $50,000 per year will walk away with pay increases that are as much as 34%."
[1] https://kotaku.com/blizzard-workers-union-contract-microsoft-2000732422
[2] https://aftermath.site/blizzard-union-contract-warcraft-overwatch-diablo/
[3] https://aftermath.site/activision-workers-speak-out-against-return-to-office-mandate-that-they-see-as-soft-layoffs/
[4] https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/nation_and_world/entertainment/microsoft-owned-blizzard-video-game-union-ratify-contract/article_34b9395e-8cfd-5366-8bc6-1f52d82d0328.html
Re: (Score:3)
It's 2026. Companies don't like to pay people. They know that there's already 10 people lined up for your job if you leave or get laid off. The job market is a dumpster fire and it's not going to improve. Most listings boil down to responsibilities of a senior engineer but pay of a junior engineer and the listing stays up permanently.
Re: (Score:1)
Yea, that's why unions make almost zero sense for high skilled jobs. This essentially adds some foundation to the lowest performers while kneecapping top end pay ranges.
Blizzard doesn't create a whole lot of games to begin with. They work on the expectation of every game being a hit. Both Blizzard and Rockstar (with GTA6) run the risk of hitting their hubris, and I wonder if one of the two will have a massive flop by the end of the decade.
Re: (Score:2)
> Yea, that's why unions make almost zero sense for high skilled jobs. This essentially adds some foundation to the lowest performers while kneecapping top end pay ranges.
How does one become a high-end skilled worker? Clown.
Too baada (Score:1)
All of Blizzard's games are complete trash fests.
Re: (Score:1)
The zillions of Blizzcon fans would beg to differ on that opinion. It was a huger success than normal and WoW is now in D&D as an rpg, which will open up new potential customers. what you call a trash fest/fire many seem to actually like playing. Personally I agree with you.
If your employer abuses you (Score:2)
There are two rational responses to an abusive employer:
1) Leave.
2) Join a union.
Which one is best depends on the circumstances.
Re: (Score:2)
#1 is your best option, but you have to have the financial means to do so. In the united states most of the working population lives paycheck to paycheck, and even though they'd like to have an emergency "Fuck you" money fund, they can't. They're too burdened with rent, car payments, credit card debt, and medical debt to break free. The only way they can escape an abusive employer is to quit after they get an offer letter for another position.
If only more people heeded the advice of the loan shark character
Re: (Score:2)
> #1 is your best option,
Not always, it depends on the situation. If you don't have stock in the company, if your boss doesn't respect you, if other companies in the region/industry are the same, then these factors weigh towards a union.
> #2 forming a union requires much more energy and commitment then #1.
Again, it depends on the situation. If someone else is already forming a union, lending your support to it is lightweight.
Re: (Score:2)
> request of our clueless non-gamer managers
On that note any Blizzard employees who had to suffer under Bobby Kotick deserve a raise.
Jesus Fucking Christ (Score:2)
> some workers who were paid below $50,000 per year will walk away with pay increases that are as much as 34%."
Anyone mad about this should note that $50,000 per year is what In-n-Out Burger pays a FT employee in California, and then they should fuck off to the farthest possible point to fuck off to, and then fuck off some more.
Good for them, (Score:3)
Microsoft isn't exactly known for it's clean business practices, so that should help.
20 years ago..... (Score:2)
I got to listen to programmers laugh at the auto industry. They talked about how American cars sucked because of Unions, they didn't give a shit about whiny American union workers, etc. etc.
Now they are realizing what happens when a job gets commoditized. They are realizing that once a industry matures, things change. I SO SO want to say "Yeah? Fuck you. I hope your sorry ass gets fired". But instead, I'll just shake my head and watch the journey to reasonable collective-bargaining and wonder how m
Any particular reasons or signs that... (Score:2)
Blizzard intends to ratify it as well?
Cost (Score:2, Interesting)
It'll be interesting to see what the overall impact is on the cost of Blizzard titles.
Re: (Score:3)
> It'll be interesting to see what the overall impact is on the cost of Blizzard titles.
> voted to ratify their first union contract with parent company Microsoft after over two years.. consolidating Blizzard's many smaller unions into three larger bargaining units.
Guess that depends on the kind of overhead it takes to run many smaller unions. Whatever that's supposed to be.
Honestly I thought the entire point of a union was to demonstrate that you are in fact a union. Not a bunch of employees running around in their union "cliques" cosplaying as a union pretending to have power.
Re:Cost (Score:5, Insightful)
> Honestly I thought the entire point of a union was to demonstrate that you are in fact a union. Not a bunch of employees running around in their union "cliques" cosplaying as a union pretending to have power
There's some truth to that, but often it is just not possible to start off with one already big union. Or even get a union at all. And one small union, as well as a couple of small unions, is still better than no union. And as we see here, consolidating several small unions into one big union can and does happen...
Re: Cost (Score:2)
Maybe Microsoft anticipated this by creating headlines about Xbox cost cutting prior to the ratification. It will allow Xbox to apply uneven leverage.
Re:Cost (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe not that much at all. More contented employees usually have a tendency to also be more productive employees. Something far too many employers still don't understand.
So they're not after productivity (Score:1)
They're after low wages. You have to think about the labor market as a whole not just your slice of it. When you get to the c level that's what you're doing. You're hanging out with your other multi multi-millionaire or billionaire golf buddies talking about how you're going to lower wages in your industry so they can lower wages in their industry so that everybody's wages can be lower.
This is important because even if it costs you slightly more overall you get a lot more power out of it. And it's not a
Re:Cost (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft revenue is up 18% this quarter. I think they'll manage to scrape by. [1]https://www.microsoft.com/en-u... [microsoft.com]
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/fy-2026-q4/press-release-webcast
Re: (Score:1)
What's that have to do with the cost of Blizzard games? It's obvious you don't understand basic accounting.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, I think we'll see Overwatch costs increase by 300%. Expect to see price of the base game increase from $0 to $0.
Re: (Score:3)
If increasing their prices would make them more profitable, then wouldn't they have done that already?