With the vote of almost 600 of Activision’s quality assurance employees, the largest video game union in North America was officially formed. With support from the Communication Workers of America (CWA), hundreds of quality assurance employees in the Activision Publishing division cast their union ballots to create Activision Quality Assurance United. A CWA official informs Polygon that 390 votes were totaled as “yes,” while 8 votes were cast as “no.”
Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard and its Impact on Unionization Efforts in the Gaming Industry
Following an extended legal struggle, Microsoft just bought the publisher of Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, and Warcraft. The Verge reports that Microsoft previously stated it wouldn’t obstruct potential Activision Blizzard unions and that it had established a labor neutrality agreement back in 2022, which ostensibly made the unionization process simpler for organizers. Microsoft and the CWA confirmed a labor neutrality agreement in 2022, which facilitates organizational processes at Activision Blizzard and other Microsoft companies.
According to Tom Shelley, an organizer for the recently established union, “This has been an emergent effort that’s arisen in the last few weeks in response to the opportunities we’ve had to organize following the merger freely.” This information was provided to The Verge. “As QA workers, we often have the weakest protections and lowest pay of any workers in the industry,” he adds, “even though our work is integral to the success of the companies we work for and the titles we make.”
Activision Blizzard and the larger gaming industry have been experiencing an increase in unionization initiatives in recent years. Despite some possibly union-busting measures used by their parent firm, ZeniMax Worker United, Xbox’s first-ever unionized subsidiary, began negotiations with corporate stepdad Microsoft only this year. Staff from Raven Software and Blizzard Albany successfully unionized in 2022.
Challenges and Progress in Unionizing Video Game Quality Assurance Workers
Employees in quality assurance test games to find bugs and other problems, then report them to other developers so they may be fixed. Due to the fact that most QA positions are entry-level, the sector is known for undervaluing these positions, which highlights the necessity of labor laws. Shelley believes that Microsoft’s decision to voluntarily recognize the union would spur greater organizing within the corporation and outside of it.
A union of 300 QA employees at ZeniMax online was voluntarily recognized by Microsoft last year. It became a member of Raven Software and Blizzard Albany. Though they are gaining traction, labor unions for video games have encountered challenges due to the widespread layoffs. Sega was the target of an unfair labor complaint filed by the CWA in 2023, alleging that the business intended to “phase out” temporary workers who belonged to the Aegis union that was established by the corporation the previous year. Aegis claimed that union talks were successful in saving many jobs when Sega finally decided to fire staff members.
Key Negotiation Points for Zenimax Quality Assurance Employees
The group anticipates negotiating a new contract with Microsoft, focusing on requests for increased possibilities for advancement, improved compensation and benefits, and a defined path for professional growth. Zenimax quality assurance employees are now negotiating their first contract with the firm, which covers topics like artificial intelligence and subcontracting thus far.
