A unit of 102 workers at legendary game maker Wizards of the Coast has voted to unionize. Wizards of the Coast is a creator of role playing, trading card, and digital games. A Hasbro subsidiary, it’s based in Renton, Washington.
The unit that unionized consists of workers at the company’s Magic: The Gathering Arena division, including animators, artists, game designers, and software engineers. In a mix of in-person and mail-in ballots that were counted June 23, they voted 79-16 on to join Communications Workers of America.
By unionizing, workers hope to win greater job security and pay transparency, clearer policies regarding AI use, and more sustainable workloads.
Workers told Washington State Labor Council’s online publication The Stand that the union campaign was in part a response to a “return to office” mandate from management — which would amount to unpaid relocation for workers who had been hired remotely and promised continued remote work.
Wizards of the Coast, represented by the well-known anti-union law firm Fisher & Phillips, declined to voluntarily recognize the union.
Workers told The Stand they look forward to bargaining a first contract.
