This past year or so, we’ve been observing different unionization efforts popping up in the game industry. Among these is efforts is one that’s been happening up in the Great White North at a small Edmonton office.
Back in April, we reported that a proto-union was forming among quality assurance testers at Keywords Studios, which has done QA work on BioWare’s Mass Effect and Dragon Age games. The vote took place over May via a secret mail-in ballot, and now we know the result.
These 16 QA workers have voted unanimously to form a union at the studio, a vote that was stamped as legitimate by the Alberta Labour Board. The workers said that the union effort was driven by low pay and difficult commuting options.
In response to the vote, the studio put out a statement that said, “Keywords Studios accept the vote of the 16 Edmonton staff who have chosen to unionize. We value our people and will continue to constantly strive to be a good employer. As an organization we want to ensure an engaging experience for all of our employees, and we take any concerns that our staff have seriously. We will continue to have an ongoing dialogue with all individuals in the Edmonton team, as we move forward together, always learning and improving.”
