Activision Blizzard Won’t Voluntarily Recognize New Raven Software Union

Thirty-four high quality assurance staff fashioned a brand new union at Raven Software program referred to as the Sport Employees Alliance Union. It turned the primary union at a publicly-traded online game writer (and the primary inside Activision Blizzard). The union requested Activision Blizzard for voluntary recognition, however the writer has revealed that it gained’t try this. 

Raven requested Activision Blizzard for the popularity by January 25, and hours after the deadline, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson despatched the next assertion to Sport Informer: 

“At Activision Blizzard, we deeply respect the rights of all staff to make their very own selections about whether or not or to not be a part of a union. We fastidiously reviewed and regarded the CWA preliminary request final week and tried to discover a mutually acceptable answer with the CWA that might have led to an expedited election course of. Sadly, the events couldn’t attain an settlement. 

We count on that the union can be transferring ahead with the submitting of a petition to the NLRB for an election. If filed, the corporate will reply formally to that petition promptly. A very powerful factor to the corporate is that every eligible worker has the chance to have their voice heard and their particular person vote counted, and we expect all staff at Raven ought to have a say on this determination.   

Throughout the corporate, we imagine {that a} direct relationship between managers and group members permits us to rapidly reply and ship the strongest outcomes and alternatives for workers. Because of these direct relationships, we’ve made various adjustments over the previous couple years together with elevating minimal compensation for Raven QA staff by 41 p.c, extending paid break day, increasing entry to medical advantages for workers and their important others, and transitioning greater than 60 p.c of non permanent Raven QA workers into full-time staff. We stay up for persevering with a direct dialogue with our group and dealing collectively to make our office higher.”

Because the assertion above reveals, Activision Blizzard says it thought of the Raven union requests and tried to discover a answer that was agreeable to each it and the union. Such an answer couldn’t be discovered, because the writer has opted to not acknowledge the Sport Employees Alliance Union voluntarily. Because the assertion notes, the union will doubtless now name for a vote, and the Nationwide Labor Relations Board will oversee the election. 

The union will now must obtain 50 p.c of the votes inside its division, plus yet one more vote, to win the election. At that time, Activision Blizzard must cut price with the union based mostly on election course of guidelines. There’s no phrase at the second when this NLRB election will happen.