Call of Duty Workers at Activision Blizzard Vote to Form Union, Second for Video Gaming Industry
A small group of Activision Blizzard workers voted for unionising at a studio that works on the popular "Call of Duty" franchise, the second victory in a push to organise the video gaming industry.
Employees in the quality assurance department at Raven Software in Middleton, Wisconsin, voted 19-3 for joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA), according to a tally by US National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) officials on Monday.
The union must still bargain and reach a deal on a contract with Activision. The vote will not have to be re-certified if Microsoft succeeds in its plan to acquire Activision, according to the CWA.
“We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union. We believe that an important decision that will impact the entire Raven Software studio of roughly 350 people should not be made by 19 Raven employees,” Activision said in a statement following the vote.
Wisconsin is a right-to-work state, meaning any worker can choose not to be a union member.
Employees are speaking up at Activision following multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct. They have walked out in protest of the company response to the allegations and layoffs of quality assurance testers. Employees have circulated a petition calling for the removal of Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick.
In the broader market, workers are also becoming more vocal and active about better pay and working conditions.
"Employees in this sector tend to be overworked and underpaid and treated as disposable, which probably goes against the public image that people have of tech workers," said John Logan, a professor of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University
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