Activision Blizzard CEO Says Company Will Recognize Raven Software Union And Begin Negotiations

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has announced in a press release that the company will recognize the union recently formed at Raven Software and begin negotiations. 

The news follows months of controversy surrounding Activision Blizzard’s handling of Raven layoffs as well as subsequent union efforts at the Call of Duty Support Studio. Here’s what Kotick wrote in the press release, in full: 

“Team,

It is my pleasure to inform you that negotiations will be initiated with Communications Workers of America regarding the 27 Raven Software quality assurance workers. The majority of these employees have chosen to represent this union. We will enter into good-fait negotiations with the Communications Workers of America to negotiate a collective agreement after the election is over.

While first labor contracts can take some time to complete, we will meet CWA leaders at the bargaining table and work toward an agreement that supports the success of all our employees, that further strengthens our commitment to create the industry’s best, most welcoming and inclusive workplace, and enhances our ability to deliver world class games for our players.

After major investments made in our QA team over the past few years, we begin this process. This includes significantly increasing starting salaries for QA specialists as well as converting nearly 1,100 U.S.-based contingent QA workers to permanent full-time roles. This transformation is offering QA workers and eligible dependents access to comprehensive benefits. Additionally, we offer QA employees more opportunities to learn and develop and have increased their access to performance bonus programs. We have also integrated QA into our game development processes more smoothly, which has resulted in improved products and greater opportunities for our team members.

Our company is at a great time. I want to thank you for the passion, skill, and commitment you bring each day to create great games, to embrace opportunities to make this the industry’s very best place to work, and to connect and engage our players around the world.

Thank you.

Bobby”

In December of last year, Activision Blizzard laid off several members of Raven’s quality assurance team. Numerous Raven employees began a strike immediately. Activision Blizzard eventually broke its silence about the strike but did not officially recognize it. Following this, 34 QA test engineers agreed to create a union. The testers requested Activision Blizzard recognize the union within 24 hours. However, Activision Blizzard refused to comply with the deadline. More information about this can be found here. 

Activision Blizzard stated that all U.S.-based QA testing staff would be converted to full-time employees and will provide them with full benefits and wage increases. Activision Blizzard spokeswoman said that the conversion would result in former Raven contractors being hired back. GamesIndustry.biz, “This conversion of nearly 1100 QA workers at Activision and Blizzard does not have any relation to the petition pending at Raven studio. Raven is the only Raven in this Raven case. The testers whose contracts weren’t extended were welcome then, and now, to apply for any jobs at the company.” 

If asked, Bloomberg if current Raven workers would receive new pay initiatives as a result of today’s news, Activision Blizzard said they will not “due to legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Board.” A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard told the publication that “whether Raven workers choose to unionize has nothing to do with the salary increases elsewhere for Activision’s QA workers.” A statement from Game Workers Alliance (CWA) secretary-treasurer Sara Steffens received by Fanbyte called Activision Blizzard’s exclusion of Raven QA workers in this new pay initiative “an effort to divide workers and undermine their effort to form a union.” 

CWA was able to obtain a vote due to the favorable ruling of National Labor Relations Board. Activision Blizzard unsuccessfully challenged this process by attempting to make it so that all of Raven’s roughly 350-person team – not just the workers attempting to unionize – would have to vote. 

“We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether or not to support or vote for a union,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Game Informer. “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.” 

The vote was instead voted down to 22 workers. These workers successfully voted to unite last month. They became the first AAA videogame studio union and U.S. publisher of video games, as well as the second formal union to be formed in North American videogame industry. Milwaukee’s branch of National Labor Relations Board analyzed mailed ballots from eligible Raven workers. Out of 22 ballots, 19 votes were for yes while 3 votes were against. The deadline for parties to object was May 31, but they did not file one. Activision Blizzard appears to be ready to recognize today’s union and bring it up at the bargaining desk.