600 Activision QA workers unionize with recognition from Microsoft

Quality Assurance workers at Activision have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union with recognition from Microsoft.

Approximately 600 QA workers signed a union authorization card or indicated they wanted union representation through an online portal. They are the first to organize at Activision under a neutrality agreement between CWA and Microsoft.

With the unionization, Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA becomes the largest group of union-represented workers at any US game studio, bringing the total of Microsoft employees represented by CWA to 1,000.

“Microsoft continues to keep its commitment to let workers decide for themselves whether they want a union,” said CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. “Time and again, other big companies in the industry have decided to undermine and attack their employees when they join together to form a union.

“Microsoft’s choice will strengthen its corporate culture and ability to serve its customers and should serve as a model for the industry.”

“We maintained our commitment to remain neutral during the organizing campaign, and following this vote, we recognize the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as the bargaining representative for the Activision Publishing Central Quality Assurance employees,” said Amy Pannoni, VP and deputy general counsel of HR Legal at Microsoft.

“We look forward to continuing our positive labor-management relationship.”

Last year, QA staffers with ZeniMax Studios joined ZeniMax Workers United/CWA, adding to the growing list of employees from companies such as Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, SEGA, eBay-owned TCGplayer, and more, who have organized with CODE-CWA.