Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have missed the deadline to voluntarily recognise a union formed by Magic: The Gathering Arena developers.
With support from the Communication Workers of America, UWOTC-CWA requested that management recognise the union by May 1.
“That deadline has now come and gone, with no direct response from the company,” the union wrote in an open letter published yesterday (May 4).
“Management claims to be committed to ensuring every person is heard, valued, and supported. However, when we spoke up about our desire to unionise, they responded only to the press.”
On April 29, a Wizards of the Coast spokesperson confirmed to Kotaku that the company received the union filing.
“We have received the filing and are reviewing it carefully,” it said. “Our employees are the lifeblood of what makes us great, and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every person feels heard, valued, and supported.
“We believe we have a strong connection with everyone at Wizards of the Coast and that direct relationship with our employees is essential to how we work together to capture the imagination of our fans and players, inspiring a lifetime love of our games. We appreciate hearing about the needs and interests of our employees through this filing, and will respond through the appropriate process.”
UOWTC-CWA stated that “the success of the union is inevitable.”
“We’ve heard so many messages of support from players, influencers, content creators, and more,” the union said.
“Please keep up the pressure and continue urging WOTC and Hasbro to do the right thing; they can still choose to voluntarily recognise our union any time before the impending election” – referring to an election petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“While we’re disappointed in this delay, together we remain strong in our convictions. We look forward to sitting down at the bargaining table so we can make Arena better for workers, for Wizards, and for our players.”
In its original letter to management, the union outlined concerns about layoff protections, remote work policies, generative AI, mandatory overtime, and the need for greater transparency and equity.
