BioWare contractors move to unionize

A group of contracted QA testers working on BioWare projects have filed an application to begin unionizing.

The workers are employed by Keywords Studios, which provides video game studios a broad range of services including art services, co-development, localization, and QA. The company's website lists its many high-profile clients as including BioWare, Microsoft, EA, Tencent, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, Oculus, and more. The company also claims to have supported development on the most recent games in the Dragon Age and Mass effect series.

An April 20 application filed at the Alberta Labour Relations Board specifically concerns employees working to support BioWare at the studio's Edmonton office. The application was originally shared to Reddit, and a spokesperson for the Board confirmed its existence in an email to GamesRadar, providing no additional comment.

The workers had organized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401 to become the certified bargaining agent for a unit of employees of Keywords Studios B.C., Inc. If the Board deems the application meets requirements, which dictate that the union must have at least 40% of support from employees who would become members, employees will then have until May 3 to file objections.

This comes amid a growing push toward unionization in the video game industry. A group of workers at Call of Duty Warzone studio Raven Software are in the process of unionizing under the Game Workers Alliance, which tweeted out a show of support to the BioWare QA workers seeking to unionize now. Just last week, Nintendo denied anti-unionization accusations amid complaints from former staff. Microsoft, for its part, has gone on record to say that it won't stand in the way of a potential Activision Blizzard union as investigations continue into Activision misconduct allegations.

ICYMI: Last month a judge approved Activision Blizzard's $18 million harassment settlement.