Double Fine Productions workers seek to unionize

Double Fine Productions, the Microsoft-owned studio that recently shipped Keeper and Kiln, is positioned to authorize a union, Aftermath reported.

Workers for the company, headed by game veteran Tim Schafer, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board. 

Filed on May 7, the petition said Double Fine workers have aligned with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which has worked with other Microsoft divisions to unionize workers. The union estimates 42 workers will vote on the union.

“On May 7, the workers at Microsoft studio Double Fine Productions announced their decision to form a union with CWA to preserve and extend the studio’s commitments to creative excellence, diversity and inclusion, and worker quality of life,” the CWA said in a statement to GamesBeat and Aftermath. “In tandem with requesting voluntary recognition from the company, workers have also filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to secure union representation. We appreciate that Microsoft has taken a neutral approach and agreed not to interfere in any way with worker’s rights to organize unions.”

In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “We continue to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace.”

Microsoft has laid off thousands of employees. Unions have also formed at other divisions like Bethesda, Raven Software and Activision Blizzard. Across the industry, about 82% of game developers favored unions, according to a survey released by the Game Developers Conference earlier this year. Many remain concerned about being replaced by AI in game production initiatives.

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