Employees of a team from the American video game publisher Activision Blizzard, which distributes the flagship titles call of duty and World of Warcraft, voted by a majority in favor of the creation of a union, a first within the company. Of 28 voters authorized to vote, 19 voted for and 3 against, detailed the US National Labor Relation Board, the agency responsible for organizing the ballot, following a count of postal votes on Monday. May 23.
This small quality assurance team at Raven Software, an Activision subsidiary, will be represented by the Communications Workers Union of America (Communications Workers of America). A few employees began to mobilize at the end of 2021, engaging in a five-week strike after the dismissal of twelve employees.
It was then the third work stoppage decided by the employees since the appearance, in July 2021, of a series of accusations of discrimination and harassment against management, recalls the union in a press release. Employees officially banded together earlier this year as the Video Game Workers Alliance (Game Workers Alliance-CWA).
A vote recognized but nuanced by Activision
“Our greatest hope is that our union will inspire the growing movement of workers who are organizing in video game studios to create better games and build workplaces that reflect our values and empower us”reacted the organization after his victory.
In the video game sector, CWA has also helped create unions at Vodeo Games and Paizo studios. Activision, in the process of being acquired by Microsoft, has recognized the result of the vote, according to Agence France-Presse. However, adds the company, “We believe that an important decision, which affects all 350 employees of the Raven Software studio, should not be made by 19 Raven employees”.
Several large multinationals, including Starbucks, Apple and Amazon, are currently facing a unionization campaign in the United States.