BioWare contractors trying to unionize will no longer be forced to return to the office

Image: EA

The company that employs a group of contractors trying to unionize has reversed a policy that required them to return to the office, according to an internal email. The return to office policy was one of the reasons the contractors began organizing. Employees at Keywords Studios said that they were offered a hybrid work from home option.

Today, May 9th, is the day that the Keywords Studios employees were expected to return to the office. In an email sent on Friday, they were told to stay at home until further notice.

The labour relations board in the province ordered a unionization vote by mail-in ballot, according to a notice. The Board has recommended that the potential bargaining unit be expanded to include all employees of the company.

The revised description will only apply to employees of Keywords Studios in Canada, and two other workers who do not work with BioWare, according to an employee involved in the organizing efforts. Between 15 to 20 people are expected to be in the bargaining unit. Ballots will remain sealed until the size of the bargaining unit is determined.

Quality assurance testing is one of the services that Keywords Studios offers. The staffers embedded with the team have worked on titles such as Mass Effect, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Dragon Age 4. Other labor organizing in the gaming industry includes employees of Raven Software being allowed to have a union election.