Recently, around 600 workers in Activision Publishing’s quality assurance department decided to form a union with the assistance of the Communications Workers of America. This move marks the emergence of a new union called Activision Quality Assurance United – CWA, which has become the largest video game union in the United States. The vote by the employees was completed and certified on Friday, March 8th, signifying a significant shift in the landscape of labor relations within the gaming industry.
In 2022, Microsoft entered into a labor neutrality agreement with the CWA, which has facilitated the unionization process at the company and its subsidiaries, including Activision Blizzard. The acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft last year has played a crucial role in enabling the employees to organize more easily. Tom Shelley, a technical requirements specialist and one of the organizers of Activision Quality Assurance United, highlighted the importance of this agreement in helping them achieve their unionization goals. He emphasized the challenges faced by quality assurance workers, who often have minimal job protections and low pay despite the critical role they play in ensuring the success of gaming companies and the quality of their products.
Quality assurance workers play a vital role in testing games for bugs and other issues, which are then flagged for developers to address. Despite the integral nature of their work, QA jobs are often considered entry-level positions, leading to the devaluation of their roles within the industry. The formation of unions such as Activision Quality Assurance United is a crucial step towards advocating for better labor protections and fair compensation for these workers. Microsoft’s voluntary recognition of the union sets a positive precedent for other companies in the gaming industry to follow suit and support the organizing efforts of their employees.
The rise of video game labor unions has been gaining momentum, although they have encountered obstacles such as widespread layoffs within the industry. In 2023, the CWA filed an unfair labor complaint against Sega, alleging that the company planned to phase out temporary employees who were part of the Aegis union formed the previous year. Despite these challenges, union negotiations were able to save a number of jobs when Sega eventually carried out layoffs. The efforts of unions like Activision Quality Assurance United and others are paving the way for greater solidarity and protections for gaming industry workers in the United States.
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