Video game testers at Activision Blizzard Inc. voted on Monday to form a union with the Communications Workers of America in a first for a US-listed game company.
Nineteen quality assurance testers at subsidiary Raven Software, who assess the performance of games in the lucrative Call of Duty series, voted for legal recognition of the union they’d first organized in January. Three voted against.
The outcome ends a protracted battle that began when management refused voluntarily to recognize the group. Workers came together in response to layoffs at the company last December, and their push for official status at the company comes as it’s also battling explosive allegations of sexism.
“Our biggest hope is that our union serves as inspiration for the growing movement of workers organizing at video game studios to create better games and build workplaces that reflect our values and empower all of us,” the newly created union, the Game Workers Alliance, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with management to positively shape our working conditions and the future of Activision Blizzard through a strong union contract.”
Microsoft Corp. plans to buy Activision for $69 billion, and the deal is expected to be completed by June 2023 pending regulatory approval. Labor experts say other groups within Activision that are looking to follow Raven’s lead may face a much tougher foe if the purchase goes through.
Activision management had refused to recognize the union saying...
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