BioWare contractors want a union
A group of contractors supporting EA-owned BioWare is trying to unionize. Part of the reason is because they’ll be required to return to the office, even while full-time BioWare employees who work at the same location are being offered a hybrid work from home option, two employees told The Verge.
The organizing group is employed by Keywords Studios, a company that offers services like quality assurance testing and localization for game development companies. One employee expects the unit will consist of between 15 and 20 individuals.
These Keywords employees are embedded directly with BioWare’s team at the company’s office in Edmonton, Canada, and have worked on titles like Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the newest Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion, and, most recently, Dragon Age 4. The sources The Verge spoke to for this article requested anonymity so they could speak openly.
Based on the new mandate, the Keywords Studios staffers will be required to come into the office beginning May 9th, employees told The Verge. Kotaku also reported the May 9th return to work date.
The group is also rallying around issues with pay and time off. Two Keywords Studios staffers said the company starts pay at minimum wage, which is $15 CAD per hour in Alberta (or a little under $12 USD), which can be tough to live on.One source claimed that full-time BioWare staffers are paid much more and that a previous Keywords Studios staffer took a lower-level position at BioWare and is making about twice as much money.
“We absolutely want to continue delivering amazing experiences” to fans of BioWare’s games, one employee said. “It’s just [that] we need to be able to support ourselves.”
Keywords Studios staffers also don’t receive paid sick
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