Magic: The Gathering Arena employees votes for union, a first for Wizards of the Coast

United Wizards of the Coast has announced that employees of the Magic: The Gathering Arena division have elected to form a union at Wizards of the Coast. Of 102 eligible voters, 79 voted for the union and 16 voted against.

The announcement brings a formal end to a multi-month process, which began when developers of the popular Magic: The Gathering app declared that they were forming a union over concerns about pay, return to office work, mandatory crunch time, and other workplace issues. The union will now negotiate with Wizards of the Coast towards a collective bargaining agreement.

Wizards, for their part, announced that they had accepted the results of the election. Their statement reads: "The Magic: The Gathering Arena team within Wizards of the Coast has voted to be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and we respect and support them in that decision. We now look ahead to working with the CWA in good faith and transparency as we enter the bargaining process. At Wizards, our commitment to building a culture where our people feel respected and valued and can continue to make incredible games and experiences for our players is unwavering."

Wizards was criticized at several points during the formation of the union, in particular for hiring an anti-union law firm to represent them, declining to voluntarily recognize the union, and deadnaming trans employees during the voting process.

While the new union only represents developers of Magic: The Gathering Arena, this marks the first union to form among Wizards employees.

 

[MGibster]

Most companies DO have such a policy against general non-work related conversations during work hours, and simply don't enforce them very hard (or it goes no further than your manager giving you the stink eye for talking instead of working).

Do they? Because I don't think I've ever worked for any company with a policy specifically restricting non-work conversations during work hours. If a company has a policy that isn't ever enforced, or its selectively enforced, it's pretty much the same as not having a policy at all. i.e. Having that policy won't protect the company. (A lot of companies found out the hard way having policies against sexual harassment didn't protect them if they did nothing about harassment they were aware of.)

 

[Scribe]

Let's see how long before Arena becomes "unprofitable" and gets shut down.

I would be shocked, of all the idiotic things they could do, Arena has to be a money printing machine.

 

[bedir than]

A mix of both!

If your company has a general policy against non-work related conversations during work hours, then that includes discussing pay. But it has to be a general policy against all non-work conversations, not a specific policy against pay discussions only.

Most companies DO have such a policy against general non-work related conversations during work hours, and simply don't enforce them very hard (or it goes no further than your manager giving you the stink eye for talking instead of working).

Of course, you are fully protected and free to speak about pay, etc during breaks, lunches, etc.

If your company allows non-work conversations during paid work hours (and you are on-duty, working), then you CAN talk about pay, etc during work hours.

This seems related to employer rules rather than laws

Again, there's no law in Renton that forbids these conversations.

 

[Seramus]

Do they? Because I don't think I've ever worked for any company with a policy specifically restricting non-work conversations during work hours.

They usually show up in Fortune 500 companies, grocery store and fast food chains, call centers, big retailers, etc. You don't see it much in tech companies, law firms, or smaller businesses.

If a company has a policy that isn't ever enforced, or its selectively enforced, it's pretty much the same as not having a policy at all.

That's how the lawsuits get complicated. A company might have the policy, but not enforce it much, but suddenly crack down on pay discussions. Now the victims have to prove the pay discussions got cracked down on, and not the general policy, which is hard unless someone "messed up" and sent you written proof like an e-mail, or you have recordings of your supervisors doing it (which runs into recording laws and your own companies recording policies).

Basically, it's a big ugly mess few lawers will bother with even if the victim is in the right.

Tl;dr Do it on your breaks/lunches, or after work. You're protected during those times!

 

[Seramus]

This seems related to employer rules rather than laws

Again, there's no law in Renton that forbids these conversations.

It's an absence of protection from the law IF the employer has a policy against all non-work related conversations.

But any non-work time is still protected, such as breaks, lunches, after work, etc.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Generally you can't talk about pay, etc during on duty, working hours unless you can prove non-work conversations are allowed. Which is a difficult fight almost no lawyer will take, since many companies have such a policy, but usually don't enforce it until it becomes a "problem."

But breaks, lunches, and anything off the clock is free game for pay, etc conversations - and legally protected, to boot!

As a union member can confirm. All communications from my union say "Read while on break or not on the clock".