Can Unionization Save the Video Game Industry?

As gamers, we don’t always recognize the small army of workers it takes to create great games. And as fun as it is to play these games, game production is often a major nightmare for these workers.

Now, the video game industry may be getting a union, spearheaded by a new campaign launched in January this year. Will this union preserve workers’ rights and save the video game industry? Or is this going to be the end of gaming as we know it?

Who Is Organizing a Union?

Obviously, a union is a major change in the gaming industry. So, who is behind this major push?

The primary entity behind this push is the group known as the Communication Workers of America. As the name implies, this group was not originally formed to help out the gaming industry. Instead, the CWA was formed by various telecom workers.

This union has evolved over time to tackle various telecom-related issues. Now, they are launching a special campaign that targets the video game industry.

CWA and the CODE

When a game gets really difficult, it’s tempting to bust out a cheat code to help overcome the challenge. And since this challenge has emerged from within the gaming industry, the CWA has launched a “CODE” of their own.

“CODE” is the acronym for their Campaign to Organize Digital Employees. This is an international coalition, though it is currently limited to the United States and Canada.

CWA is hoping that CODE will link assorted grassroots groups together in order to improve the rights of every worker within the gaming industry. And in this way, the CWA is following the lead of an entirely different effort that originated two years ago.