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About 60 workers at global video game giant Ubisoft in Halifax have formed the company's first union in North America.
TJ Gillies, a senior server developer at Ubisoft Halifax, says he is increasingly concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence in the industry and following the closure of Microsoft's Alpha Dog game studio in Halifax in 2024.
“We see a lot of studios, especially the big ones, that just let people go without unions or support, people are just left to fend for themselves. Often they have to leave the industry,” Gillis said.
Gillis said he has contacted CWA Canada to begin efforts to form 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 such as Fallout.
“I think this is the right direction for us, especially with the advent of AI, where we want to preserve the artistic value of game development,” Gillies said.
The union was formed six months after filing union certification and after 74 percent of Ubisoft Halifax employees voted to join CWA Canada.
This is Ubisoft's first and only alliance in North America. The company, which employs more than 17,000 people worldwide, has unionized employees in other parts of the world.
A Ubisoft spokesperson said in a statement to CBC News that they “acknowledge the decision of the Nova Scotia Labor Board and reaffirm our commitment to maintaining full cooperation with the Board and union representatives.”
Carmel Smith, president of CWA Canada, says she's already heard from others at tech companies who want to follow Ubisoft Halifax's lead. (CWA Canada also indirectly represents CBC staff, and Smith is on leave from his position as a CBC producer.)
“We know there's more interest in this, and why not? This industry employs thousands of Canadians. It's a business that is driven by the personal contributions, blood, sweat and tears of workers,” Smith said.
Smith says the gaming industry is still new in some ways, and unions are not yet widespread in the industry in North America.
“Because there's no union to protect the workers, the company just decides they're being fired and fires them. It could happen anywhere. Is it more likely in the tech industry? Well, if there's no union there, it's more likely,” Smith said.
Gillies says Ubisoft Halifax's goal in forming the union is to maintain its current workplace and have a say in its development. And he hopes many more in the industry can achieve this goal.
“We’re really excited to hopefully have an impact on some of our North American colleagues as well.”
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