Around 600 quality assurance (QA) employees at Activision have taken a significant step by forming a labor union under the Communication Workers of America (CWA), now recognized as the largest in the North American region's sector of gaming.
Activision Workers Form Largest Video Game Union in North America
Described as an Emergent Effort Following Acquisition by Microsoft
The newly formed union, known as 'Activision Quality Assurance United – CWA,' comprises Activision QA employees spread across the US states of Texas, California, and Minnesota. Following a successful vote, with results certified on March 8, the union solidified its place as a significant force within the gaming industry, making it the largest in North America.
It was facilitated by a labor neutrality agreement between Microsoft and the Communication Workers of America (CWA), established in 2022. The agreement streamlined the organization process within Microsoft and its subsidiaries, including Activision Blizzard.
Tom Shelley, a technical requirements specialist and one of the organizers of Activision Quality Assurance United, highlighted the favorable conditions for unionization created by Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. "As QA workers, we often have the weakest protections and lowest pay of any workers in the industry," Shelley explained in an interview with The Verge. "This has been an emergent effort that’s arisen in the last few weeks in response to the opportunities we’ve had to freely organize following the merger."
Shelley commended Microsoft for voluntarily recognizing the union, expressing hope that this move will encourage further organizing efforts both within the company and across the broader gaming sector. As per The Verge, Microsoft voluntarily recognized a union of 300 QA workers at ZeniMax online last year, which subsequently joined the union at Blizzard Albany and Raven Software.
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Activision QA workers form the largest US video game union yet
