Activision Blizzard employees win their union vote

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Quality assurance workers at the studio have voted in favor of the Game Workers Alliance. The union passed with 19 out of 22 votes after the votes were counted. The Game Workers Alliance is the first union for the video game industry in the US.

The vote is the culmination of months of organizing and a seeming concerted effort of union-busting on behalf of the company. The strike at the Call of Duty support studio began in December after 12 employees were told they would be laid off in January. The Game Workers Alliance was formed at the end of the strike by the remaining QA workers.

The unionization movement was stymied by the efforts of the company. After the formation of the GWA, the employees of the single department were split into multiple teams. The election process was triggered by the company's failure to recognize the GWA. The company petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to change the voting unit so that the employees of Raven Software would vote instead of the workers trying to unionize.

In April of this year, over 1,000 temporary and contract employees were given a minimum base pay of $20 per hour. All of the employees at Raven were told that they wouldn't be eligible for the minimum salary paybump, even though they had already been converted to full-time status. Through direct dialogue with each other, we improved pay, expanded benefits, and provided professional opportunities to attract and retain the world's best talent, according to an email from the studio head at Raven.

Since the unionization process began, the company line has been that employees can only win their benefits through direct dialogue with their employer. The most tired anti-union talking points are straight from the union busting script, according to Tom Smith, national organizing director at CWA.

The National Labor Relations Board refused to reconsider its decision to hold the vote, despite a request from the company a week before the vote.

The National Labor Relations Board said it has evidence that the Call of Duty publisher violated labor laws. The National Labor Relations Board stated in a report that the social media policy implemented by the company interfered with the rights of employees. The news broke hours before the union vote was read aloud, and if the company doesn't settle, the National Labor Relations Board will file a complaint. The claims have been denied by the company.

The voters of the union were finally able to exercise their right despite the efforts of their employers.

The right of employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union is something we respect and believe in, according to Jessica Taylor. The decision that will affect the entire studio of 350 people should not be made by 19 employees.

Our biggest hope is that our union serves as inspiration for the growing movement of workers organizing at video game studios to create better games and build workplaces that reflect our values and empower all of us. We look forward to working with management to shape our working conditions and the future of the company through a strong union contract.

The statement from The Game Workers Alliance has been added.

The statement was added by the company.