Activision Blizzard recently announced that they will transfer their part-time, contract-based quality assurance workers to full-time employee status. This change will see 1,100 QA workers receiving company bonuses, employer benefits, and an increase of minimum pay to at least $20 per hour. Considering that the change coming after Raven Software, one of the studios under Activision Blizzard banner, seeing layoffs of QA workers, but also the forming of a worker’s union, things seem to progress in a good way. But on the other hand, Activision Blizzard claims this announcement is not related to the Raven software union “Game Workers Alliance”. As a proof, Activision Blizzard is currently not upgrading QA workers that are in the union.

Regarding not upgrading union workers, Activision Blizzard made a statement. The statement says “Due to our legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act, we cannot institute new pay initiatives at Raven at this time, because they would be new kinds of compensation changes.” 

Also about the law cited, Labor Board v. Exchange Parts Co., 375 U.S. 405 (1964), Activision Blizzard says “employers could violate the National Labor Relations Act if they confer economic benefits on its employees for the purpose of inducing them to vote against the union.” Though an Activision Blizzard representative also explained that the new announcement “does not have any relation to the petition pending at Raven studio. The Raven situation is limited to Raven.”

But this decision is not agreed by everyone, as Sara Steffens, Communications Workers of America secretary-treasurer, issued this statement below regarding the situation.

“Make no mistake, all credit for Activision Blizzard’s latest move to give all temporary and contingent QA team members full-time employment and a raise should go to the workers who have been organizing, mobilizing and speaking out.

It’s especially galling then that Activision has excluded Raven Software QA workers, who have been at the forefront of this effort, from these benefits. The company’s assertion that the National Labor Relations Act prevents them from including Raven workers is clearly an effort to divide workers and undermine their effort to form a union (Game Workers Alliance – CWA). Activision’s disingenuous announcement is further evidence of the need for workers to have a protected voice on the job. We strongly urge Activision Blizzard to rectify this situation and respect Raven QA workers’ protected right to organize under the law.”