EDMONTON, Alberta, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Striking video game workers will be hosting a rally on Tuesday, November 7, outside of the BioWare offices at Epcor Tower in downtown Edmonton. The group will be calling for Fair Play for workers in the industry.
The video game workers are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 (UFCW Local 401) working for Keywords Studios in Edmonton. They are the first unionized workers in Canada’s video game industry.
The workers at Keywords Studios were laid off in September amidst negotiations to achieve a first collective agreement. The team had joined UFCW Canada in Summer 2022 – making history by becoming the first ever workers in Canada’s videogame industry to form a union in their workplace.
The team had previously worked on quality assurance and testing for industry heavyweight BioWare, owned by Electronic Arts. At the time of unionizing, workers cited low wages, lack of benefits such as sick pay, and more.
The striking workers at Keywords Edmonton are a part of a growing movement called Fair Play 4 Game Workers. Fair Play is comprised of professionals working in the video game industry across the globe, labour advocates, and concerned gamers, who are advocating for change in the industry to better benefit workers.
The Tuesday rally will be livestreamed on the UFCW Local 401 Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/UFCW401) for those who are unable to attend.
What: Rally for Fair Play for Canada’s first unionized game developers
Who: UFCW Canada Canada Local 401 alongside other union and community allies.
When: Tuesday, November 7, 2023; Rally begins at 12 noon.
Where: BioWare Edmonton Offices; 10423 101 St. NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 0E7
As Canada's leading union for retail and food workers, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Canada) represents over 250,000 workers across the country working in the food retail and processing, agriculture, health care, security, and hospitality industries, as well as other sectors of the economy. UFCW Canada is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Chris O’Halloran
Executive Director
UFCW Local 401, United Food and Commercial Workers Union
Phone: 587-999-6448
Email: cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca
Website: www.gounion.ca
