Halifax video game workers form first Ubisoft union in North America
The Halifax Regional Municipality is making history as the first Ubisoft union in North America. About 60 workers at the Ubisoft office in Halifax have voted in favor of unionizing, driven by concerns about AI and industry-wide layoffs. This global video game giant, headquartered in France, has offices worldwide, but this is the first union in North America.
T.J. Gillis, a senior server developer at Ubisoft Halifax, shares his concerns about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence in the industry and the recent closure of a Microsoft gaming studio in Halifax, Alpha Dog, in 2024. Gillis highlights the lack of support and unions in the industry, where workers are often left to fend for themselves, sometimes even losing their jobs.
Gillis took the initiative to contact CWA Canada to begin building a union with other colleagues. CWA Canada also represents about 120 Montreal workers at Bethesda Game Studios, which is owned by Microsoft and produces popular video games like Fallout. Gillis emphasizes the importance of maintaining the artistic value of game development as AI becomes more prevalent.
The union was formed six months after filing for union certification, with 74% of the staff at Ubisoft Halifax voting to join CWA Canada. This marks a significant milestone as the first and only union within Ubisoft across North America. While Ubisoft has unionized workforces in other parts of the world, this is a groundbreaking development for the North American branch.
A spokesperson for Ubisoft acknowledged the decision and reaffirmed their commitment to full cooperation with the Nova Scotia Labour Board and union representatives. Carmel Smyth, the president of CWA Canada, is already hearing from other employees at tech companies who want to follow Ubisoft Halifax's lead. Smyth emphasizes the importance of unions in an industry driven by the personal input, blood, sweat, and tears of the workers.
Smyth notes that the gaming industry is still evolving, and unions have yet to become widespread in North America. Without unions to protect workers, companies can make unilateral decisions about layoffs. Smyth highlights the tech industry as an example where unionization is more likely due to its lack of unionization.
Gillis' goal is to maintain the current workplace and have a say in its growth. He hopes that this union will inspire other workers in the industry to take similar action. With the potential influence on North American coworkers, the Ubisoft Halifax union is a significant step towards a more worker-friendly gaming industry.
