BioWare contractors who do QA work on Mass Effect and more want a union

Workers at Keywords Studios, which have in the past supported BioWare’s quality assurance (QA) efforts, are moving toward unionization according to paperwork filed in Canada. Polygon has confirmed Monday’s filing to the Alberta Labour Relations Board.

An account called KeywordsUnitedYEG posted a notice on Reddit’s Alberta forum, also on Monday, noting that workers had organized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. To become the Certified Negotiating Agent for Keywords Studios B.C., enter 401 This means that union workers could test the next Mass Effect and Dragon Age games.

Keywords is a company that provides “long-term and cost-efficient video game testing solutions” for other developers, according to its website. The company lists as its partners BioWare Entertainment, Electronic Arts (Blizzard Entertainment), Square Enix and Intel (Intel), among others. According to the company’s official site, it provided QA for the most recent Dragon Age and Mass Effect titles — which are BioWare’s most successful series.

Another step towards unionization within the gaming industry is this. Some studios are willing to unite despite resistance from management and publishers. Raven Software, a support QA software studio, was also involved with the Call of Duty franchise.

Polygon has reached United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union (Local No. For more information, contact Polygon at Local No. 401.