U.S. and Canadian video game workers launch union with Communications Workers of America

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As a passionate gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled about the formation of the United Videogame Workers union by the Communications Workers of America. This union is our voice, aiming to secure job stability within the gaming industry – an area that has experienced a significant number of layoffs in recent years.

On March 19, 2025, it was declared that the Communications Workers of America had established the United Videogame Workers-CWA union at the 2025 Game Developer Conference. This newly formed union unites video game laborers from the United States and Canada under one industry-wide alliance.

At the upcoming event, UVW-CWA members plan to collect signatures for a petition advocating for respect and employment stability for all workers. The sector has been significantly impacted by redundancies over the past couple of years, triggered by an influx of hiring during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regrettably, we’ve had to report on layoffs nearly every week this year.

2023 was a tough year for me as a gamer, with over 10,500 game-related jobs disappearing in the industry. The following year, 2024, saw an even more significant blow with 14,600 positions vanishing. Shockingly, some giants like Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment had to shut down entire studios due to these layoffs.

According to Claude Cummings Jr, the President of CWA, here’s his take on the recently formed United Videogame Workers union:

“Claude Cummings Jr expressed his thoughts regarding the newly established United Videogame Workers union.

The establishment of United Video Game Workers-CWA marks a thrilling progression in our union’s mission to empower video game workers within their industry. With video game studios merging, the talented individuals who breathe life into these games often find themselves overlooked. They face continuous rounds of layoffs and rehiring as company executives prioritize immediate profits over a long-term, sustainable future.

It’s quite relevant to note that even profitable companies like Microsoft can still choose to close studios despite distributing a significant amount, such as $9.7 billion in share buybacks and dividends during the second quarter of their fiscal year 25. Surprisingly, they also announced job cuts and layoffs across various departments including gaming, security, and sales divisions. Fingers crossed that the United Videogame Workers-CWA union will bring about enhanced job security for developers and allow teams to keep producing games that fans adore.

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2025-03-20 05:28