Activision Blizzard employees win their union vote
support studio. At the end of that strike, the remaining QA workers formed the Game Workers Alliance in partnership with the Communications Workers of America .
Activision Blizzard was persistent in its attempts to stymie the unionization movement. Days after the GWA formed, Raven QA employees were broken out of their single department and distributed across multiple teams. The company also failed to voluntarily recognize the GWA, triggering the election process.
Raffel’s language touted the company line Activision Blizzard has used since the unionization process began: that employees can win benefits they seek only through “direct dialogue” with their employer. It’s language that Tom Smith, national organizing director at CWA, has called, “the most tired anti-union talking points straight from the union busting script.”
A week before the vote was to commence, Activision Blizzard requested the NLRB reconsider its decision to hold the vote, a request that was denied.