Today, employees of Activision Blizzard studio Raven Software voted in favor of becoming just the second video game union in North America. The Game Workers Alliance is comprised of a group of quality assurance testers that have been fighting for better working conditions. Unionization efforts began late last year, and Activision Blizzard has been accused of undermining those efforts since. The company refused to voluntarily recognize the GWA, which prompted today’s vote. The QA testers voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionization, by a margin of 19 to 3, with two unchallenged ballots.
In a video shared by More Perfect Union back in March, members of the Game Workers Alliance discussed their reasons for unionization, and the struggles for QA testers in the video game industry. Employees cited 14-hour work days on Call of Duty: Black Ops III, VR testing sessions that would last 7-8 hours, as well as low pay. The video can be found embedded below.
NEW: Workers who test video games like Call of Duty for Raven Software/Activision Blizzard are demanding an end to exploitation.
They work 14 hours/day for poverty wages. Some are on food stamps & have vision damage.
Now they’re unionizing & it could revolutionize the industry. pic.twitter.com/noLeVb0PWL
The formation of the GWA comes at a time when unionization efforts are starting to ramp up across the country, as workers fight for better treatment from their employers. Activision Blizzard is hardly the only company accused of undermining unionization efforts; companies like Amazon and Starbucks have also been accused of pushing back against these attempts, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently cited Democratic support for unions as a negative.
Microsoft announced plans to purchase Activision Blizzard earlier this year. In an interview with The Washington Post back in March, Microsoft corporate vice president Lisa Tanzi told the outlet that the company “respects Activision Blizzard employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a labor organization and we will honor those decisions.” The success of the GWA could lead to other unionization efforts at the company, and around the industry. The conditions described by the GWA in the video above are not exclusive to Activision Blizzard; crunch and poor working conditions are a very real problem for the gaming industry. Hopefully, this will help turn things around!
How do you feel about the Game Workers Alliance? Are you happy that the vote passed? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
[H/T: The Verge]
