Wizards of the Coast and its parent company, Hasbro, are doing everything in their power to prevent a union from forming.

Wizards of the Coast, known for Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, has employees who want to form a union. At the end of last month, the Magic: The Gathering Arena team announced its intention to form a union and gave the company until May 1 to recognize it voluntarily. Neither Hasbro nor WotC complied. The union petition is now being put to a vote through the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, which would allow the union to be established regardless of Hasbro/WotC’s wishes.

According to the employees, WotC has resorted to sending daily emails and using intimidation tactics to prevent the union from forming. Since the union filed its notice, WotC has hired the anti-union firm Fisher Phillips and launched a campaign sending daily emails to the Arena team aimed at spreading misinformation and instilling fear among employees. According to several WotC employees, these daily emails have now “evolved” into paper-based letters. The National Labor Relations Act states that employers may not threaten employees with negative consequences for union activity nor promise benefits in exchange for rejecting the union. The letter’s wording is somewhat neutral to avoid violating these guidelines.

“If employees choose union representation, the CWA will represent them in collective bargaining with the company. This process usually involves negotiating wages, benefits, scheduling, and other terms and conditions of employment. All the benefits and perks you currently enjoy would be on the bargaining table, and both parties would negotiate based on what’s most important to them. This means you could end up with more, the same, or less than you have now. Wizards of the Coast would continue to work directly with employees on workplace matters, as it does today, with much more flexibility than a rigid union contract allows. There is no single right answer for everyone – this is a personal decision that each of you will make. Our future is stronger when we work together. We believe your voice is strongest when it is heard directly. Not through a third party” – the letter says.

However, the union is not a third party. WotC is likely still feeling the consequences of laying off 1,000 employees in 2023. This soured its relationship with Larian and sparked the entire union movement, despite the fact that Arena was a success.

Source: PCGamer, Action Network, Bsky, Bsky, NLRB, Polygon