Activision Blizzard Withheld Raises From Union Activists, According To NLRB
Activision Blizzard has been withholding raises for QA testers at Raven Software due to their union activity, according to findings by the National Labor Relations Board. The board has found that testers at Activision Blizzard were offered a pay raise of up to $20 an hour, yet the same offer was not given to QA testers at Raven Software who voted to unionize earlier this year. Activision claims it was because it "could not institute new pay initiatives at Raven" due to the then pending union election.
This is undoubtedly a win for the workers currently negotiating with Activision Blizzard, as the group is still in talks with the company over better working conditions. According to The Washington Post, if an agreement between the two sides cannot be reached, the NLRB can either issue a complaint against Activision Blizzard or prosecute the case before a federal judge should the company refuse to settle, although the latter is apparently unlikely.
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While the NLRB's findings don't change anything in the grand scheme of things, it is a pretty significant bargaining chip for those still negotiating with the company. As stated by the former chairman of the NLRB Wilma Liebman, it gives those negotiating "a little bit of leverage" and could potentially "put pressure on the company" into reaching an agreement.
It's not been the best few days for Activision Blizzard, as it was also recently revealed that controversial Activision CCO Frances Townsend is stepping down from her role now that Microsoft's acquisition of the company is reaching the finishing line. Townsend became infamous during reports last year that described the company
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