Wizards of the Coast has responded to unionization efforts by the Magic: The Gathering – Arena team. The proposed union had asked WotC to recognize the union by today, May Day, in a symbolic support of workers.

On Wednesday, members of the union posted WotC’s response:

We have received the filing and are reviewing it carefully. Our employees are the lifeblood of what makes us great, and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every person feels heard, valued, and supported. We believe we have a strong connection with everyone at Wizards of the Coast and that direct relationship with our employees is essential to how we work together to capture the imagination of our fans and players, inspiring a lifetime love of our games. We appreciate hearing about the needs and interests of our employees through this filing and will respond through the appropriate process.

Wizards of the Coast has the ability to recognize the union or the move to unionize will be put to a vote.

WotC also responded by hiring legal counsel from Fisher & Phillips LLP, a law firm known for its work in labor relations and, specifically, for helping companies remain union-free workplaces. The NLRB case file, dated April 27, shows WotC has hired Alex Desrosiers and Jack O`Connor as legal representatives.

In their announcement, the union has said they are negotiating for:

• Layoff Protections: Employees currently live in fear of suddenly losing their jobs, with no warning and through no fault of their own.
• Remote Work Protections: Leadership is instituting a mandatory RTO, forcing numerous remote employees to return to a physical office or be forced to resign. This painful choice is splitting our employees between their homes, communities, and the jobs they love.
• Generative AI Protections: Pressure has ramped up from leadership to adopt LLMs and Gen AI tools in various aspects of our work. WOTC lacks a robust AI policy, leaving opportunities for abuse and communicating a level of disrespect for artists and other creatives.
• Sustainable Workload: Employees’ experiences with “crunch” (intense, mandatory unpaid overtime) to meet deadlines vary widely by team and project, with some teams crunching on a regular basis just to get planned work out the door.

They are asking individuals to sign a letter to show their support for the union.