Approximately 600 quality assurance (QA) employees at Microsoft's Activision have successfully voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to become Activision Quality Assurance United.
Activision Quality Assurance United is the company's first union since it was acquired by Microsoft and is the largest video game union in the United States. The organization incorporates central QA workers from Activision offices in Texas, Minnesota, and California, as well as other recent QA workers under the Microsoft umbrella, including the Zenimax QA union and the groups Raven Software and Blizzard Albany. It's different from a union.
The group was formed with the support of the CWA-Microsoft neutrality agreement signed in 2022. Under the agreement, Microsoft commits to a “neutral approach” to unionization and not impede internal union discussions, and provides a streamlined process for choosing a union. promised to provide. Join a labor union. This is especially noteworthy considering the hurdles Raven Software and Blizzard Albany faced in forming a union prior to the acquisition. Both groups accused Activision Blizzard of union-busting efforts.
“There wasn't a specific trigger, but just being recognized as a QA worker made me realize that even though our job requires specialized knowledge and skills, and is absolutely essential to a company's success, “They often have the lowest protections and the lowest wages of any worker in the places we work,” said Tom, Activision's technical requirements specialist and member of the newly formed AQAU. Shelley said.
“The CWA Labor Neutrality Agreement is a historic agreement and unprecedented for a technology company of Microsoft's size. By recognizing our union, Microsoft is giving us the ability to make our own decisions about union representation. We are delivering on our promise to respect. We have not encountered union busting. Most US companies, especially technology companies, hire anti-union consultants to prevent workers from speaking out for themselves. At a time when millions of dollars are being spent on a regular basis, we hope this will encourage other workers to unionize and raise industry-wide expectations for wages, benefits, and perks. It’s about respecting workers’ rights.”
The group expects to negotiate a new contract with Microsoft over demands such as better pay and benefits, more opportunities for advancement and a clear career development trajectory, among other things. His QA employees at Zenimax are currently negotiating their first contract with the company, which so far includes agreements on topics such as subcontracting and artificial intelligence.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at IGN. Do you have any story tips? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
