The United Wizards of the Coast - CWA, a union representing Magic: The Gathering Arena developers, has announced its official election. The union filed a petition with the US National Labor Relations Board in April, seeking formal recognition from Wizards of the Coast.
Workers had previously claimed that the company was delaying voluntary recognition, having missed a deadline in May. In a social media post on June 23rd, the union stated, "Today is a momentous day for the workers of Arena! After months of planning, waiting and organising, our dream is finally a reality; the votes have been counted, and our union of UWOTC-CWA has been officially elected. From this day forward, we have a union!" The group expressed hope for a ratified contract soon.
The union's earlier social media post on June 2nd indicated that the NLRB election process had begun, with results expected within a couple of weeks. This suggests that voluntary recognition from Wizards of the Coast was not provided. At the time, in late April, the company had informed Kotaku that they had "received the filing", were "reviewing it carefully", and would "respond through the appropriate process".
Members of the United Wizards of the Coast - CWA cited a desire for improved protections against layoffs, modifications to remote work policies, considerations regarding generative AI, and the prevention of mandatory crunch as reasons for unionizing. Senior software development engineer and union member Damien Wilson had previously stated, "I’m hopeful about what we can build here and being clear-eyed about why it’s necessary. This isn’t just something that affects Wizards of the Coast; it’s how most American workplaces are set up: investor profit above all, even if it hurts those behind the products we all know and love."