Activision Blizzard Albany QA Testers Unanimously Form Company's Second Union
Quality assurance testers working on Diablo at Activision Blizzard's Albany studio vote 14-0 to unionize under the Communication Workers of America. This landmark victory follows a similar successful unionization effort at Raven Software earlier this year.
Quality assurance testers at Activision Blizzard's Albany studio vote unanimously to form the company's second union, with a 14-0 count in favor of organizing. These workers, who test the popular Diablo franchise, join the Communication Workers of America just seven months after QA testers at Raven Software establish the first-ever union at a major U.S. gaming company.
The National Labor Relations Board allows this vote to proceed after Activision Blizzard attempts to block it by arguing that the entire Albany studio should be included in the bargaining unit. An Albany associate test analyst states that this organizing effort empowers workers to fight for dignity and respect, while directly drawing inspiration from the earlier success of the Raven Software team.
This growing labor movement within Activision Blizzard focuses on rejecting burnout culture, crunch, and wage discrepancies, though it faces significant pushback from management. The company expresses disappointment that the vote excludes other team members and claims it is exploring all options, while labor organizers hope this victory sparks further unionization across the video game industry.