CWA Canada says it will “pursue every legal recourse” to protect unionised Ubisoft Halifax workers

The CWA Canada union has said that it will “pursue every legal recourse” to defend the recently unionised workforce at the soon-to-be-closed Ubisoft Halifax.

In a statement on the organisation’s website, the union said that the timing of the decision to close the studio so close to the formation of a bargaining unit “raises many questions”. CWA Canada also notes that it is “unlawful” for a business to close as a result of its staff forming a union, though does say that this is not necessarily what has occurred in this instance.

“Today’s news is devastating,” CWA Canada president Carmel Smyth said.

“We will pursue every legal recourse to ensure that the rights of these workers are respected and not infringed in any way.”

“We will be looking for Ubisoft to show us that this had nothing to do with the employees joining a union. The workers, their families, the people of Nova Scotia, and all of us who love video games made in Canada, deserve nothing less.”

Jon Huffman, a member of the organising committee at the Ubisoft Halifax union, added: “We’re obviously disappointed by this news and fully intend to support each other through this difficult time.”

Ubisoft announced the closure of its Halifax studio yesterday (Wednesday, January 7th). The news affects 71 members of staff and comes close to the formation of the first union within the French publishing giant’s North American business. A spokesperson for Ubisoft has stressed to Gamesindustry.biz that the studio closure is unrelated to workers unionising.

“Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs,” the French games giant wrote in a statement.

“As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio. 71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance.”

Ubisoft Halifax was founded in 2010 and has focused on mobile titles such as Rainbow Six Mobile and Assassin’s Creed Rebellion in recent years.