Yesterday, Blizzard Entertainment workers, represented by CWA, voted to ratify historic union contracts with the Microsoft-owned company, securing an unprecedented victory for the video game industry.

After two years of bargaining, nearly 1,900 video game workers have won a breakthrough first contract, whose terms will now extend to all units across Blizzard’s game teams and shared services, including union-represented workers at World of Warcraft, Quality Assurance, Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch, Diablo, and Blizzard’s Platform & Technology and Story and Franchise Development units.

The union contracts reinforce several workplace benefits that set industry-wide standards for video game workers in the United States. Alongside wage increases, grievance procedures, a three-day in-office hybrid workweek, “just cause” protections, and remote work and disability accommodations, the contracts now require Blizzard to discuss, evaluate, and bargain over the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. In an industry first, the new union contracts give workers the right to be “recalled” into open positions across any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date of their layoff announcement. Members have also secured an extra four weeks of severance for union workers, regardless of their tenure.

Prior to its acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, Blizzard Entertainment bore a reputation for toxicity, with a highly permissive corporate culture often turning a blind eye to instances of misogyny, homophobia, and racism. Since the purchase, however, the company has seen a stark reversal, rising from the ashes, with positive labor relations playing a central role. This groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement is the latest evidence of this. The new leadership at Blizzard has embraced the spirit of cooperation necessary for positive labor relations.

“I’ve been at Blizzard for 20 years because I love this company and the amazing people I work with. This contract secures a lot of what people already love about working here while adding strong protections around layoffs, job security, and remote work,” said Platform & Technology bargaining committee member and Principal Software Engineer Daniel Weltz. “Blizzard helped shape the gaming industry, and I’m proud that this contract allows us to continue setting new standards for this work.”

Click here to read the full press release for this historic win.

Congratulations to all of the video game developers on their victory!

After four years of struggle, members of the NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003) working at Forbes Magazine announced last week the ratification of their first contract. The three-year deal establishes strong editorial integrity protections, sets a new $68.5K salary floor, includes industry-leading job security protections, and more. Forbes Union represents close to 90 reporters and photo and video editors.

“We refused to accept any deal that didn’t honor the value we bring every day to Forbes,” said Andrea Murphy, unit chair and statistics editor for Forbes. “This contract is the direct result of our union’s perseverance and solidarity.”

Members staged multiple collective actions—including two work stoppages—to win this first contract.

Click here to learn more about this stellar contract.

Denver Public Library Workers United (DPLWU-CWA) announced a sweeping victory last week, with workers voting 96% in favor of joining CWA Local 7799. The newly recognized union represents a wall-to-wall group of 575 public library workers. It is the first large group to gain recognition under Denver’s city and county collective bargaining law.

Using the “direct join” process, a group of public library workers formed DPLWU in 2021. These workers, along with many other CWA members in Denver, led the fight to win municipal collective bargaining at the ballot box in 2024. With the successful union election, the members of DPLWU made CWA history as the first public sector direct join union to secure full collective bargaining rights—including strike rights—and win a representation election.

CWA Local 7799 President Jade Kelly stated, “Our bargaining committee is elected and ready to turn this landslide union victory into a historic contract, a meaningful seat at the table, and the strong public library that Denver deserves.”

Congratulations to members of Denver Public Library Workers United-CWA!

 
Members of Denver Public Library Workers United-CWA celebrated a landslide victory in their vote to join CWA Local 7799.

In August, journalists at the Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.) ratified their first union contract. The news outlet is owned by McClatchy, a media and publishing company headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. The workers are represented by the NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia (TNG-CWA Local 38010).

Earlier this year, several workers began discussing the prospect of forming a union after McClatchy rolled out an artificial intelligence (AI) “tool” that published AI-generated articles under the bylines of journalists. Other represented shops protested the abuse of their professional reputations and the misuse of generative AI. Within a week of initial conversations, the entire staff was on board and contacted the NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia’s Executive Director Bill Ross. Every worker signed a union authorization card, showing unanimous support to form a union.

The Centre Daily Times’ union was officially recognized in June, and bargaining began in July. The contract was formally ratified in August. Despite the speed of execution, members managed to win significant wage increases and protections from the abuse of AI.

“This all came together quickly, but it was still well thought out,” added Jon Sauber, a sports reporter at the outlet for seven years. “We were able to lean on both the PhillyGuild and our colleagues at other McClatchy properties that have done this before us. Without that critical assistance, we likely wouldn’t even be halfway finished right now.”

Congratulations to the speedy news crew at the Centre Daily Times!

On Tuesday, Frontier Flight Attendants, represented by AFA-CWA, held their “Claws Out, Contract Now!” picket outside Frontier Airlines headquarters. Joined by AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson and AFA-CWA International Secretary Treasurer Dante Harris, members convened to send a strong message to Frontier management that they refuse to be undervalued. Contract negotiations slowed significantly after Frontier representatives summarily rejected a proposal by the union for boarding pay. This action comes after months of management walking back proposals and issuing unacceptable responses.

Frontier Flight Attendants are ready to bargain in good faith and are calling on Frontier to do the same.

Amplify their fight on social media by sharing this post.

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New union contracts represent nearly 1,900 workers across Blizzard; include guardrails around AI usage, layoff protections, and remote and hybrid work benefits

NATIONWIDE — Blizzard Entertainment workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) voted to ratify historic union contracts with the Microsoft-owned company, securing an unprecedented victory for the video game industry following the Labor Day holiday and just days ahead of BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment’s flagship gaming convention in Anaheim, Calif.

After two years of bargaining, nearly 1900 video game workers have won a breakthrough first contract, whose terms will now extend to all units across Blizzard’s game teams and shared services, including union-represented workers at World of Warcraft, Quality Assurance, Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble, Overwatch, Diablo, and Blizzard’s Platform & Technology and Story and Franchise Development units.

“I’ve been at Blizzard for 20 years because I love this company and the amazing people I work with. This contract secures a lot of what people already love about working here while adding strong protections around layoffs, job security, and remote work,” said Platform & Technology bargaining committee member and Principal Software Engineer Daniel Weltz. “Blizzard helped shape the gaming industry, and I’m proud that this contract allows us to continue setting new standards for this work.”

 
Blizzard Entertainment workers outside the Irvine, Calif., office after World of Warcraft workers became the first wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard in July 2024 with the formation of WoWGG-CWA.

The union contracts reinforce several workplace benefits that set industry-wide standards for video game workers in the United States. Alongside wage increases, grievance procedures, a three-day in-office hybrid workweek, “just cause” protections, remote work and disability accommodations, the contracts now require Blizzard to discuss, evaluate, and bargain over the usage of artificial intelligence in the workplace. In an industry first, the new union contracts give workers the right to be “recalled” into open positions across any Blizzard bargaining unit for 14 months from the date of their layoff announcement. Workers have also secured an extra 4 weeks of severance for union workers regardless of their tenure.

“This contract marks the beginning of a new era at Blizzard Entertainment, but it doesn’t stop with us. I look forward to the day that everyone in the industry can enjoy the protections that this contract affords us, like increased severance and recall rights in the event of a layoff and the ability to grieve injustices in the workplace,” said Overwatch bargaining committee member and Quality Analyst Simon Hedrick. “I believe that the positive change we have won will ripple out and help make the games industry as a whole a better place for workers and players alike. This contract is the start of something greater, and I urge everyone to remember: when we fight together, we win together.”

A prominent issue for members of the bargaining committee during contract negotiations was industry layoffs. In July, Microsoft’s gaming division — now rebranded as XBOX — announced 3,200 planned job reductions across XBOX, impacting hundreds of union members. Hundreds of CWA members and allies coordinated rallies across the United States and Canada in protest of these layoffs, demanding dignity and respect for those laid-off.

 
Video game workers and allies rallying against layoffs outside the Austin Activision building in August. Courtesy of CWA Local 2108 Member Emilio González.

“CWA members at Blizzard are leading the way for all XBOX studios, showing what can be achieved when video game workers have a strong voice in shaping their studios for the better. It’s a new day at Blizzard, where greater power for workers is translating into more innovative games for players,” said Claude Cummings, Jr., President of CWA. “I am so proud of CWA bargaining teams, taking on tough fights and winning strong contracts that set new standards for working people across our industries.”

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About CODE-CWA

The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a union movement of thousands of workers fighting every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, games, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

Washington, D.C. — In a victory for organizing the progressive digital agencies ahead of midterm elections, workers at BattleAxe Digital have formed a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 2336, joining thousands of workers who have organized with CWA’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA). BattleAxe Digital is a women-owned, full-service digital agency based in Washington, D.C., that boasts progressive clients, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Education Association (NEA), and several national unions.

“So many of us have backgrounds in union organizing or come from previously organized workplaces, and many of BattleAxe’s clients are unions themselves. Unionizing reflects the progressive values that BattleAxe has cultivated and stands as a testament to how much we all care about the work that we do,” said CWA Local 2336 member Neha Cremin, a senior creative associate at BattleAxe Digital. “My hope is that we can work with management during bargaining to standardize how policies are communicated and enforced in a first union contract to make sure that everyone has a reasonable workload and the support to succeed.”

Last month, worker-organizers at BattleAxe Digital presented management with a letter requesting voluntary recognition after a supermajority of their eligible co-workers signaled their desire to be represented by CWA. BattleAxe Digital voluntarily recognized the workers’ union within 24 hours. Voluntary recognition is a streamlined pathway to union recognition endorsed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In a first contract, BattleAxe Digital workers hope to secure fair compensation, transparency, accountability, economic security, and sustainable work. “This union is an investment in our coworkers, our future colleagues, and the continued success of BattleAxe Digital,” the letter reads.

“In our DC office, we have framed posters and campaign signs on the walls from the labor movement and their many-faceted fights for justice,” said CWA Local 2336 member Grace Duginski, a fundraising content specialist at BattleAxe Digital. “Our union will now allow us to build the kind of workplace that embraces and reflects our Democratic values, and empowers us all. Like our clients, we as workers care deeply about fighting for what’s right and winning by working together.”

“Collective bargaining is one of the best ways for employees and management to maintain an open, healthy dialogue about the workplace we share. When workers have a collective voice and a seat at the table, we can work together to address challenges, protect what’s working, and build a stronger workplace for everyone,” said CWA Local 2336 member Sam Tuero, a digital fundraising specialist at BattleAxe Digital. “My hope is that our union creates a lasting structure for that partnership at BattleAxe where employees feel heard and supported, and where we can keep doing the creative, meaningful work that makes BattleAxe special.”

“As we head into a critical midterm election, the people producing the creative, driving the fundraising, and running the digital campaigns for Democratic candidates and progressive causes deserve the same voice on the job that they're fighting for everyone else to have," said Melissa Smith-Kupihea, President of CWA Local 2336. "We're proud to welcome BattleAxe’s workers into CWA, and we stand with them as they head into bargaining for a first contract.”

For more union updates, follow BattleAxe Workers United-CWA on Instagram and X.

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About CODE-CWA

The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

About CWA

The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

U.S. workers certify first recognized unit as global union movement builds across Wikimedia Foundation 

San Francisco, Calif. – U.S.-based workers at Wikimedia Foundation—the nonprofit organization that hosts Wikipedia and sister projects—have won their union election, voting overwhelmingly to join Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9415. The victory marks an important milestone in a global movement among Wikimedia Foundation workers to establish collective bargaining through the legal frameworks available in their respective countries.

U.S.-based workers began organizing as a part of the broader Wiki Workers United global union campaign of Wikimedia Foundation workers committed to strengthening worker voice, transparency, equity, and shared stewardship.

"The recognition of our union's first government-sanctioned bargaining unit is a huge milestone in our over ten-year journey to educate, agitate, and organize coworkers," said Bryan Davis, a WWU organizing committee and WWU-US/CWA member. "We continue our petition for recognition in the U.K. and hope to see more jurisdiction-specific units call for voluntary recognition in the coming weeks and months. Solidarity will continue to drive our discussions, planning, and actions as we begin working on our collective goals for contract bargaining to support all WMF workers regardless of legal jurisdiction, job duty, or hours of employment."

In July, U.S.-based workers demanded union recognition after a supermajority of them signed union authorization cards. When management refused to uphold the organization’s commitment to respect the rights of workers to freely choose union representation, workers persevered through a union election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“Today’s victory is a demonstration of the power of international solidarity,” said Decovan Rhem, President of CWA Local 9415. “WWU-US/CWA members organized across their workplaces and across the world, building support among coworkers internationally and among an incredible community of volunteers and wiki editors. Now, we will take the power our members have built to the bargaining table to negotiate a strong contract that gives Wikimedia workers the voice they have long deserved.”

WWU extends its sincere gratitude to the Wikimedia volunteer community. Over 2,000 volunteers and community members who have collectively made more than 15 million edits have publicly signed petitions supporting Wikimedia Foundation workers and affirming the importance of giving workers a meaningful voice in shaping the future of the movement. This petition is the most supported petition in history on the English-language Wikipedia. The WWU Organizing Committee is deeply appreciative of this extraordinary demonstration of solidarity.

“Today's election result is a well-deserved victory not only for Wikimedia U.S. staff, but for everyone who believes in a free, democratic internet. I am proud to be among the 2,000 volunteer editors celebrating this achievement today,” said Shushugah, a volunteer Wikipedia editor since 2015 with over 14,000 global edits. 

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About CODE-CWA

The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a union movement of thousands of workers fighting every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, games, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

Workers organizing with IUE-CWA Local 201 say investing in the workforce will strengthen the organization and its mission to serve the blind community.

BOSTON — Workers at National Braille Press (NBP) have publicly announced their effort to form a union with IUE-CWA Local 201, calling for a stronger voice on the job and improvements that they believe will help sustain both the workforce and NBP’s mission.

On Monday, workers marched together to NBP leadership to announce their union effort and call on the organization to voluntarily recognize their union. The effort has already won support from an overwhelming majority of the workforce.

Founded in 1927 and located in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, and also employing some remote workers in Massachusetts and across the country, National Braille Press produces braille books, educational materials, and other resources that help expand access to information for blind and visually impaired people. Workers have formed a wall-to-wall union of approximately 35 staff, including production workers, press operators, transcribers, proofreaders, sales and development staff, administrative workers, and others.

Workers say they are organizing to address sustainable compensation, workplace health and safety, staffing and training, professional development, flexible working conditions and scheduling, and the need for a collective voice in decisions that affect their workplace.

At the heart of their effort is a shared belief that investing in NBP’s workforce will strengthen the organization itself. By improving retention, reducing turnover, strengthening morale, and creating a more sustainable workplace, workers believe they can help ensure NBP continues fulfilling its mission to serve the blind community.

The workers are asking National Braille Press to voluntarily recognize their union and meet them at the bargaining table in good faith.

Community members, union members, educators, librarians, publishing professionals, disability advocates, readers, and other supporters are invited to stand with NBP workers by signing an open letter in support of their union.

SIGN THE OPEN LETTER.

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As the Industrial Division of CWA, IUE-CWA represents a force of 150,000 active and retired members united collectively to seek dignity on the job and a secure future for ourselves, our children, and all future generations.