Wizards of the Coast Declined to Recognize Union
According to an official post on United Wizards of the Coast, both Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast declined to recognize the union by the deadline.
The union is formed by Magic: The Gathering Arena developers with the support of the Communication Workers of America. UWOTC-CWA requested that management recognize the union by May 1st, but “that deadline has now come and gone, with no direct response from the company,” the union wrote in the open letter.
“Management claims to be committed to ensuring every person is heard, valued, and supported. However, when we spoke up about our desire to unionise, they responded only to the press.”
On April 29, a Wizards of the Coast spokesperson confirmed to Kotaku that the company received the union filing. “Our employees are the lifeblood of what makes us great,” they claimed. “We believe we have a strong connection with everyone at Wizards of the Coast and that direct relationship with our employees is essential to how we work together to capture the imagination of our fans and players, inspiring a lifetime love of our games.”
“We appreciate hearing about the needs and interests of our employees through this filing, and will respond through the appropriate process.”
According to UOWTC-CWA, “the success of the union is inevitable.”
“Please keep up the pressure and continue urging WOTC and Hasbro to do the right thing; they can still choose to voluntarily recognize our union any time before the impending election.”
The letter continues, saying that they are confident that they will win recognition, and thanks everyone for their continued support.
The union was formed due to over layoffs, return-to-office mandates, remote-work protections, and the increasing use of generative AI in game development. The union has filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board.
