Activision Blizzard Workers Forms First Major Gambling Industry Union –

The group of workers at video game giant Activision Blizzard voted unanimously to join the union, giving organized labor a profitable industry known for its hectic schedule.

On Monday, the National Labor Council voted that 19 employees of Activision Blizzard Raven Software subsidiary supported joining the United States Workers’ Union, while only three opposed it. The board has not yet confirmed the results, so they can be officially announced.

The connection will be primarily with a major gaming company in the US.

Raven employees are Wisconsin -based quality assurance auditors who make sure studio games work well for users. They are part of Activision Blizzard’s entire workforce, but an important source of organized manpower within the company. The connection is About 30 employees, according to the NLRB.

Proponents of his case have worked to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. They called for equal pay and more transparency from management and identified “ongoing cultural and ethical conflicts” in the company as a whole.

Raven laid off a dozen quality assurance workers in December; Leave the Threat Challenge From the remaining employees who said job cuts “Direct opposite to the positive culture Raven has created over the years.

The following month, workers in Raven’s leadership said the majority signed union cards and asked management to voluntarily recognize the union and start the first contract. The company refused, so the workers filed an election with the NLRB.

Activision Blizzard has asked the Labor Council to expand the division of its agreements to include more workers, a common tactic employers can use to reduce union support. Board officials denied the company’s request, so the stage was set for mail-order elections this month.

An Activision Blizzard spokesman said in a vote Monday that the company still believes the election should be bigger.

“We respect and believe in the right of all employees to decide whether to support or vote for a union,” the spokesperson said in an email. “We believe that a significant decision that would affect the entire Raven Software Studio, which consists of approximately 350 people, should not be made by Raven’s 19 employees.

Activision Blizzard, which runs the Call of Duty and World of Warcraft franchises, has been criticized in recent years for allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. The company recently reached an $ 18 million deal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company on charges of toxic “sibling culture”. .

Bloomberg reported Monday that they are Labor Council representatives Proceedings against Activision BlizzardThe company was accused of unlawful retaliation against union workers. The company has denied the allegations.

This story was updated with Activision Blizzard comments.