Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Update 5/24 10:12 a.m. ET: Activision Blizzard has provided a statement on the unionization of QA workers at Raven Software.
The rest of the article remains as originally written.
After forming back in February of this year, the Game Workers Alliance has been recognized as the first major union in the video game industry within the United States. Members of the team sent in their ballots to the National Labor Relations Board in Milwaukee, voting 19-3 in favor of officially unionizing.
It was announced today, May 23, 2022, that Raven Software’s QA workers won their vote to unionize. Now, GWA will need to negotiate a contract with parent company Activision Blizzard.
It was back in January that Raven Software’s QA workers formed the Game Workers Alliance following Activision Blizzard’s decision to lay off several members of the team the month before. Today’s news sees the group accomplishing the mission that they set out on several months ago.
Becka Aigner, a member of Raven Software’s QA team provided a statement on the news as reported by The Washington Post.
This of course comes amidst Activision Blizzard’s attempt to finalize a deal to be acquired by Microsoft for $68.7 billion. It’s unclear if and how the unionization of Raven Software employees could impact that deal. Regardless, the formation of the Game Workers Alliance is a major step not only for Raven Software’s QA employees, but the gaming industry as a whole.