Days After Microsoft Deal, Workers at Activision Blizzard-Owned Developer Announce Union
Just three days after the news broke that Microsoft will buy Activision Blizzard, workers at a developer owned by the video game holdings company, Raven Software, announced that they were forming a union.
Quality assurance workers at the Wisconsin-based developer, which is behind Call of Duty: War Zone and Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, have aligned themselves with labor giant the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and are calling their group the Game Workers Alliance Union. The CWA is also behind the union at Vodeo Games, recently voluntarily recognized by management, which the CWA called the first certified union at a video games studio in North America.
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The Game Workers Alliance Union is requesting voluntary recognition from Activision Blizzard management. It’s the first unit within the company to declare a union, and a group called ABK Workers’ Alliance is also attempting to organize workers at the company.
“Today, I am proud to join with a supermajority of my fellow workers to build our union, Game Workers Alliance (CWA). In the video game industry, specifically Raven QA, people are passionate about their jobs and the content they are creating. We want to make sure that the passion from these workers is accurately reflected in our workplace and the content we make. Our union is how our collective voices can be heard by leadership,” said Becka Aigner, a QA functional tester II, in a statement.
In their own statement, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said the company was “carefully reviewing” the ask for voluntary recognition. “While we believe that a direct relationship between the company and its team members delivers the strongest workforce opportunities, we deeply respect the rights of all employees under the law to make their own decisions about whether or not to join a union,” they added.
The news follows several weeks of a worker strike at Raven QA, prompted by the recent layoffs of quality assurance testers. Said CWA secretary-treasurer Sara Steffens in a statement, “A collective bargaining agreement will give Raven QA employees a voice at work, improving the games they produce and making the company stronger. Voluntary recognition is the rational way forward.”
In 2021, workers at Activision Blizzard walked out several times over layoffs and working conditions for marginalized groups, and the company has also faced several claims of sexual harassment that have prompted investigations by both California and federal agencies. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a conference call on Tuesday morning focused on the company’s Activision Blizzard deal, “As CEO of Microsoft, the culture of our organization is my number one priority.” He added, “This is hard work, it requires consistency, commitment and leadership that not only talks the talk but walks the walk.”
In response to the Microsoft deal announcement, on Tuesday ABK Workers’ Alliance tweeted that the news was “surprising” but “we remain committed to fighting for workplace improvements and the rights of our employees regardless of who is financially in control of the company.”
