epi.org
Unions are extremely popular: 56 million workers would join a union if they could
New Gallup polling finds that 71% of people in the U.S. approve of unions, continuing the highest period of favorability in over 60 years. This coincides with the greatest number of workers represente...
![“We really started mobilizing as one Blizzard unit in [the] last couple of months, and I think that really helped put the pressure on,” Paul Cox, senior game designer on World of Warcraft, told Aftermath.
"I feel like the company dragged its feet and did a lot of posturing and wasting time until the very, very last moment."
Prior to spring of this year, the WoW team, which unionized in 2024, had gotten the lion's share of bargaining time. Other units found themselves stuck in the mud. Higher-ups were effectively stalling the whole process—unfortunately nothing new for unionized workers under Microsoft’s umbrella.
"For this whole year of bargaining on the Diablo side—and I imagine on the rest of the units as well—we received so few [bargaining] dates, but we kind of had the understanding that whatever WoW was able to win would at least influence and set the floor for the rest of our units,” Diablo senior environment artist Mahreen Fatima told Aftermath. “We adopted this messaging about how WoW's wins are our wins, so we should be out there mobilizing with them. But truly, I feel like the company dragged its feet and did a lot of posturing and wasting time until the very, very last moment this last month to finally be able to say, 'OK, yes, we are willing to extend this contract to everyone.' We really did not have any indication that we could get this done until last month."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5gdejlhcswjbzraadoltdpps/bafkreih6u6gzajbd63dovnmlnc43z5g6i35d3n735rrdkopipyjopkl72e)
![When someone lamented that "everyone [is] so offended about everything," Fowler replied, "Yeah your post is way off base.
And ignorant. Perhaps you have a rare talent for massively missing the point.
Two real people that I have known for decades being depicted in a case of physical abuse when isn't humor to me. I guess you're just another one who finds depictions of violence on women hilarious.'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:655rwq4qe6ideol7eyx3prkz/bafkreihzjcnd5o6atr5nbcub56ctyobe7zrtwnsnbku6focp7riw3ja6na)