The union representing employees at Wizards of the Coast has expanded to include the Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering teams, now known as the Wizards of the Coast-CWA (UWOTC-CWA). This follows the earlier unionization of the Arena team, which successfully won its union election in April. The expanded union is urging Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast leadership to cease its push for generative artificial intelligence.
The UWOTC-CWA has set a deadline of October 13 for voluntary recognition of the expanded union. The union previously faced resistance from Wizards of the Coast when the Arena team first sought recognition. Should Hasbro not voluntarily recognize the union, it would necessitate filing with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and winning another election.
In addition to union recognition, the UWOTC-CWA has presented a petition outlining several demands. A key point of contention is the company's adoption of large language models and generative AI. The union stated in its petition, "Leadership, without regard for the desires of our teams, has pushed for adoption of LLMs and generative AI. This has to stop; our teams deserve a robust and enforceable AI policy that aligns with our goals and values."
Another significant demand reiterates the union's stance on intellectual property created by employees outside of work. The petition asserts, "What we make in our free time should belong to us, not the company." This echoes a demand from the union's initial formation, which highlighted that Hasbro could currently claim ownership over any IP created by employees during their tenure, even if unrelated to Wizards of the Coast's existing intellectual property.