In the past 3 years, several teams in our games industry have unionized
First, and I am sharing my personal opinion only, I offer all my support and credit to these teams. Unionizing takes courage and a willingness to build trust, coordinate, and challenge the status quo.
These teams clearly felt unionizing was essential to protect their rights and working conditions and whatever your view, that conviction deserves respect.
I’m always pro-labor because being pro-labor is being pro-human.
People often ask why I’m so measured on this topic, though. It’s because unions are widely misunderstood. They’re not a cure-all, and I think it’s important to be clear about what they do and don’t protect.
So, what does a union actually do and what doesn’t it?
Here’s my understanding (and feel free to correct me):
✅ What a union can do:
🟢 Negotiate better wages, benefits, and working hours
Collective bargaining is at the heart of unionization. It allows workers to secure legally binding agreements around pay, healthcare, PTO, and more.
🟢 Provide a structured grievance process
Unions ensure that employee concerns are heard without fear of retaliation and offer a path for disputes to be addressed formally.
🟢 Offer legal support and protection in layoffs or disputes
While unions can’t prevent all layoffs, they can negotiate the terms, such as severance, notice periods, recall rights, and provide legal assistance.
🟢 Push for more transparency and accountability from leadership
Unions can advocate for visibility into business decisions that impact workers, giving teams more voice in the process.
⚠️ What a union can’t do:
🔴 Stop layoffs, project cancellations, or studio closures outright
A union can influence how these happen, but not whether they happen. Market realities still rule.
🔴 Guarantee job security in a volatile, hit-driven industry
If a game underperforms or a strategic pivot occurs, jobs can still be lost, even in unionized environments.
🔴 Prevent performance-related terminations
Unions ensure due process, but “just cause” policies mean consistent underperformance or misconduct can still lead to dismissal.
🔴 Override management’s business or creative decisions
A union can advocate, but it can’t dictate what games get made or how a franchise evolves.
🔴 Block global labor shifts or outsourcing trends
I think about this the most.
In an industry where wages in North America can be more than 3x higher than in other regions, companies may move roles abroad to manage costs. A union cannot stop these structural shifts. It can only negotiate for its local bargaining unit.
Unions aren’t magic, but they’re a powerful tool, especially when you feel unheard.
In my personal capacity, as Amir the human, I encourage you to learn more and to decide for yourself if unionizing makes sense.
I care deeply about people in this industry, but I stay clear-eyed about what we can protect ourselves from and what we can’t.