Halifax workers form first Ubisoft union in North America

The logo of French video game publisher Ubisoft is pictured at the Paris games week in Paris, Nov. 4, 2017.

Ubisoft Halifax workers have officially formed a union, which is stated to be the first of its kind in North America.

Sixty-one employees at the Nova Scotia-based video game studio are now members of the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada, Local 30111, following certification by the Nova Scotia Labour Board on Dec. 18.

For Jon Huffman, a lead programmer at Ubisoft Halifax, the certification decision was a “huge relief.”

“It’s a great holiday surprise,” he said.

Workers at Ubisoft Halifax announced their intentions to form a union last June. Huffman said they held a vote later that month, but it couldn’t be officially counted until the company responded and the bargaining unit was defined.

Following a few hearings, Huffman said the company dropped its challenges and the vote count was held in December.

“73.8 per cent were in favour of unionizing,” he said. “It’s a really strong turnout. Everyone who was eligible to vote, voted. It’s a clear response from the membership.”

Huffman said they received support from the Ubisoft unions in Europe, particularly France. He noted the Halifax studio is now the first Ubisoft union in North America.

“It has started a conversation,” he said. “Colleagues have reached out to say it’s a huge surprise. Whether or not they choose to follow, that’s up to them. We’ve shown the way forward, hopefully.”

Going into 2026, Huffman said the union will focus on defining its goals and laying out its structure.

“Even though it’s taken this long to certify, we’re still dedicated to doing this with Ubisoft,” he said. “We love where we work, we love who we work with. We’re in this for the long haul.”

Ubisoft Halifax specializes in mobile free-to-play games, according to its website. Some of its games include Assassin’s Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile.

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