Unionizing the Video Game Industry w/ Taylor Welling & Kathryn Friesen

Paris Marx is joined by Taylor Welling and Kathryn Friesen to discuss how they formed wall-to-wall unions in the video game industry and their thoughts on broader challenges like layoffs and corporate consolidation.

Taylor Welling is a producer and union member at OneBGS and Kathryn Friesen is quest designer and member of the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.

Also mentioned in this episode:

OneBGS • and the World of Warcraft GameMakers Guild • each won their union votes in July 2024. • More video game workers have already been laid off • in 2024 than did in all of 2023. • Microsoft and the Communication Workers of America signed a labor neutrality agreement • in 2022, to take effect 60 days after its acquisition of Activision Blizzard closed. In May, that agreement was extended • to ZeniMax Studios. • Microsoft laid off 1,900 gaming workers • in January and closed four internal studios • in May. • Blizzard provides • swords, shields, and helmets to employees celebrating 5, 10, and 20 years at the company. • The ZeniMax Workers Union struck an agreement • with their employer on the use of AI. • Nicole Carpenter at Polygon • put together a list of video game unions • and an explainer on the rise of video game unions • . • Communication Workers of America has more information on unionizing as part of their CODE-CWA campaign • .

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