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

Workers at Keywords Studios, which previously supported BioWare’s quality assurance (QA) efforts, are moving towards consolidation as per the paperwork filed in Canada. Polygon confirmed the application with the Alberta Labor Relations Board on Monday.

An account named KeywordsUnitedYEG posted an announcement on Reddit’s Alberta forum, also Monday, noting that workers had organized under the Canadian Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 401 to become Become a certified bargaining agent for a staff unit of Keywords Studios BC That means the next Mass Effect or Dragon Age game could eventually be tested by union employees.

Keyword is a company that provides a “cost-effective and long-term video game testing solution” to other developers, according to the company’s website. It lists BioWare, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Google, Intel, Sony and Square Enix as some of its partners. According to the company’s official website, it has provided QA for the most recent Dragon Age and Mass Effect titles – these are BioWare’s most successful series.

This is another step forward for consolidation in the games industry, as some studios want to merge even in the face of opposition from publishers and management. Raven Software, a support QA studio that has worked with the popular Call of Duty franchise, is also in the early stages of a consolidation effort.

Polygon has reached out to the Canadian Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 401 as well as Keywords, BioWare, and Electronic Arts for further comment.