CWA Canada has contacted Ubisoft lawyers demanding documents, emails, and other information related to the closure of Ubisoft Halifax.
Ubisoft announced it would be shuttering the Canadian studio earlier this week, less than a month after the majority of workers voted to unionize under the CWA Canada banner.
The timing of the decision, which Ubisoft claims is part of an ongoing restructuring initiative, sparked concern from union members and representatives.
Responding to the situation earlier this week, CWA Canada pledged to “pursue every legal recourse” to defend the rights of workers impacted by the closure. It said the situation has raised “many questions for which we do yet have answers,” suggesting a lack of transparency from Ubisoft.
CWA Canada said Ubisoft must now prove the closure was based solely on financial necessity. CWA Canada president Carmel Smyth also questioned why union members were not notified about the layoffs ahead of time.
“Typically, in cases where employers are planning big layoffs, they share that info with the union in confidence before announcing it,” said Smyth said in a statement sent to Game Developer and posted online.
“Ubisoft is highly unionized internationally; its managers are aware of that. Why they chose not to follow standard practice, we do not know. But it raises the question: what is different about Canadian workers compared to its unionized workforce in France and other European countries?”
CWA Canada is now pushing Ubisoft to reassign those impacted by the closure at other studios in Canada, Europe, and the United States.
“Why not help people keep their careers and lives on track?” Smyth continued. “Why penalize Nova Scotia workers and their families? Do the right thing.”
CWA Canada added the closure comes after Ubisoft was granted approximately $11 million (CAD) in provincial tax credits over the last eight years through Nova Scotia’s Digital Media Tax Credit program.
