Blizzard Entertainment workers, involved in popular titles such as World of Warcraft and Diablo, have ratified their first union contracts after two years of negotiations. The contracts impact approximately 1,900 employees across various divisions, including games and shared services.
Key provisions of the agreements include:
- Wage increases
- Grievance procedures
- “Just cause” protections for discipline
- A mandated three-day in-office work week
- Recall options for laid-off employees within 14 months
- An additional four weeks of severance pay
- Provisions for negotiating the use of AI in the workplace
Daniel Weltz, a principal software engineer and bargaining committee member, expressed pride in the contract, emphasizing job security and remote work options. Quality analyst Simon Hedrick sees the contract as the start of a new era at Blizzard, advocating for expanded protections industry-wide, including better severance terms and layoff rights.
These developments come in the wake of significant layoffs at Xbox, prompting Blizzard workers to prioritize job security in their negotiations.
