The QA department at Blizzard Albany, the studio formerly known as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2‘s Vicarious Visions has become the second quality control department within Activision Blizzard to organize a union.
Today we announce a new union at Activision Blizzard.
QA is currently an undervalued discipline in the gaming and software industries. we strive for
foster work environments where we are respected and compensated for our essential role in the
development process. 1/5— GWA Albany (@WeAreGWAAlbany) July 19, 2022
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The group, organized as GWA Albanyit has about 20 members and has formed a union to address issues such as competitive and fair compensation, health care, and “establishing reasonable protocols to address ‘critical time’ demands.”
GWA Albany is now the second QA department within Activision Blizzard to unionize after Raven Software QA workers organized, voted and won their union over the course of the last six months.
Amanda Laven, associate test analyst and GWA Albany organizing committee member, said her organizing process began in December, around the same time Raven employees were protesting the layoffs, and that “seeing [Raven Software’s] The process helped us a lot so that we could understand what awaited us.”
And indeed there will be a lot ahead of them. Throughout the process of organizing Raven, Activision Blizzard was accused of busting unions, resulting in a pending NLRB unfair labor practice lawsuit.
The company reorganized Raven’s quality control department to divide its members into different teams, requested that the union vote be extended to all Raven employees and not just the quality control bargaining unit, and, in a move Surprisingly, he raised the minimum wage to $20 an hour for every QC Employee except Raven’s.
Laven says his team isn’t concerned about Activision Blizzard’s actions. “They have failed [at union busting] and it will continue to fail, we are strong together and we know it”.
It’s also worth noting that Microsoft, which is trying to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68 billion, signed a labor neutrality agreementessentially agreeing to respect the results of Activision Blizzard’s growing labor movement.
This new union comes amid a sweeping labor movement across the country. Companies like starbucksamazonas, chipotle, Verizon, and more are beginning to see workers at their lowest levels organizing and winning unions. And QA, with its reputation as one of the worst-treated workers in the video game industry, appears poised to jump in at this unprecedented time of union organizing.
“I think QA has the most obvious needs,” Laven said. “Our salary tends to be significantly lower than other departments, the crisis hits us hard because we are at the end of the development pipeline and there is often little room for career growth or sustainability. Fortunately, we’re starting to see that change with the raises, full-time conversions, and educational opportunities the company is starting to offer, all of which came about as a result of collective action. I think other departments are already starting to organize as well, and when they see our success and what can be achieved by working together, they will accelerate their efforts.”
Activision Blizzard has yet to say if it will (and judging by its behavior regarding Raven’s syndication process, it’s highly unlikely), but Rich George, a spokesman for Activision Blizzard, issued this statement to The edge:
Our top priority remains our employees. We deeply respect the rights of all employees under the law to make their own decisions about joining or not joining a union. We believe that a direct relationship between the company and its employees is the most productive relationship. The company will formally and publicly provide a response to the petition to the NLRB.
As GWA Albany awaits Activision Blizzard’s response, Laven believes more unions within the company are likely on the horizon. “I would be very, very surprised if there aren’t several other nascent unions in various stages of organizing right now,” she said.
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