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Ubisoft closed its Halifax studio on January 7, 2026, affecting 71 positions. CWA Canada, which said it represented 61 of those workers, filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Labour Board alleging the closure was meant to keep the union out. Ubisoft denies any connection to the union and attributes the closure to company-wide restructuring and declining revenue. On April 14, 2026, CWA Canada reported that laid-off workers voted overwhelmingly to approve a settlement the union negotiated; its terms, including compensation, are confidential. Public reporting does not include a Labour Board finding on the merits.
Timeline of the dispute
| Date | What happened | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 (exact date not stated) | Workers vote in favour of union certification, with 74% of eligible voters in favour | CWA Canada Local 30111 timeline; union record |
| December 18, 2025 | CWA Canada says it was certified to represent 61 of the 71 workers | CWA Canada, as reported by The Canadian Press; union claim |
| January 7, 2026 | Ubisoft Halifax closes, affecting 71 positions | Ubisoft statement as reported by CityNews and The Canadian Press |
| January 13, 2026 | CWA Canada announces it has filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Labour Board | CWA Canada release; allegation, not a Board finding |
| January 14, 2026 | The Canadian Press reports the filing | Contemporaneous news report |
| April 14, 2026 | Laid-off workers approve a settlement negotiated by CWA Canada | CWA Canada release; terms confidential |
The gap between certification and closure is the core of the union’s case. Certification came less than three weeks before the studio closed. That sequence explains why the union challenged the closure, but it does not by itself show why Ubisoft made the decision.
What the union alleges
CWA Canada’s position is that the closure was intended to defeat unionization. The union frames this as a breach of labour law rather than an ordinary business decision. CWA Canada President Carmel Smyth said: “It’s against the law to stop workers from joining a union in Canada, but the slap on the wrist employers often get is not enough to stop this,” according to the union’s release. In a separate statement, Smyth said: “The penalty should reflect the reality of intentional corporate bullying.” Both are the union president’s characterizations of the dispute, not conclusions reached by the Labour Board.
The union’s January 13, 2026 release also attributes $12 million in Nova Scotia public funding to the provincial government. That figure is the union’s claim. The coverage available does not independently verify the amount or describe how the funding relates to the studio’s operations, so it should be read as CWA Canada’s assertion only.
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What Ubisoft says
Ubisoft denies a link between the closure and the union drive. Its explanation, as quoted by CityNews, was: “Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.” Coverage attributes the decision to a restructuring and cost-reduction effort that the company says began before the union drive, and to declining revenue. These are the company’s stated reasons. Reporting does not include internal documents that would confirm the sequence or the weight of each factor.
Two explanations, compared
| Question | Union allegation | Ubisoft explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Core claim | The closure was intended to block unionization | The closure was part of company-wide restructuring and cost reduction, linked to declining revenue |
| Main evidence cited publicly | Timing: certification on December 18, 2025, closure on January 7, 2026 | The company’s stated rationale; a wider effort described as beginning before the union drive |
| What the public record does not show | The complaint’s full text and the specific provisions alleged | Internal financial or planning records supporting the rationale |
| Current status | Complaint filed; no Board merits decision reported; workers approved a settlement | Position on the settlement not included in the coverage reviewed |
Timing is a reason for scrutiny, not proof of motive. Both sides have offered accounts that the public record cannot yet test.
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Figures and who stated them
| Figure | Value | Stated by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positions affected by the closure | 71 | Ubisoft, as reported by CityNews and The Canadian Press (2026) | Company statement |
| Workers CWA Canada says it represents | 61 of 71 | CWA Canada, as reported by The Canadian Press (2026) | Union claim |
| Share of eligible voters in favour of certification | 74% | CWA Canada Local 30111 timeline (2025) | Union local’s own record |
| Nova Scotia public funding | $12 million | CWA Canada release (January 13, 2026) | Union claim; not independently verified in the coverage available |
| Settlement compensation | Not stated | CWA Canada (April 14, 2026) | Confidential; no amount has been published |
None of these figures is a broader labour-market statistic. Each describes this dispute only.
The April 2026 settlement
On April 14, 2026, CWA Canada said laid-off workers voted overwhelmingly to approve a settlement the union had negotiated. The union has said the terms, including compensation, are confidential, so readers cannot compare the outcome with other severance or settlement packages. Reporting also does not say whether the settlement included an admission of liability. The settlement is a resolution reported by the union; it is not a ruling on whether the closure violated the Trade Union Act.
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How the complaint process works
The Nova Scotia Labour Board’s Form 16 is the official complaint form for unfair labour practice complaints under sections 53, 54, and 55 of the Trade Union Act. The form states that a complaint must generally be filed within 90 days of when the complainant knew or ought to have known of the relevant circumstances. Several points follow from that:
- The form is general procedural context. It does not show which sections CWA Canada invoked against Ubisoft.
- The January 13, 2026 announcement came six days after the closure, which is inside the 90-day general window measured from that date.
- A complaint is an allegation until the Board decides it. A filing does not establish a violation, and a settlement does not establish one either.
What affected workers and readers should note
- Confidential settlement terms mean no public benchmark exists for compensation in this case. Anyone comparing offers should rely on their own documents rather than on headline figures.
- The 90-day filing rule in Form 16 is a general rule under the Trade Union Act. Deadlines depend on the facts of each case, so workers facing a similar situation should check the form and seek advice from their union or a qualified adviser promptly.
- Claims made by the union, such as the $12 million funding figure, should be verified against government records before being repeated as fact.
What remains open
Three questions are unresolved in public reporting: whether the Labour Board would have found the closure unlawful, what the complaint specifically alleges, and what the confidential settlement contains. Until a Board decision or further disclosure appears, the closure’s cause remains the subject of competing accounts from the union and the company.
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