United Videogame Workers (UVW), in collaboration with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), have officially launched the first industry-wide, direct-join union for video game workers in North America. This announcement was made during the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
As a direct-join union, UVW-CWA Local 9433 welcomes all video game industry workers across the U.S. and Canada, including artists, designers, programmers, and quality assurance testers, regardless of their employment status—be it freelance or full-time. This approach allows workers from various companies to unite and address shared concerns beyond individual workplaces.
The formation of UVW-CWA coincides with the fifth anniversary of CODE-CWA, which has successfully helped over 6,500 tech and video game workers organize since 2020. The union’s mission is to empower workers, advocating for dignity and job security, especially in light of recent industry layoffs. In 2023, over 10,500 jobs were lost, with an additional 14,600 in 2024. Members are actively gathering signatures for a petition demanding better job security and working conditions within the industry.
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