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Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 developer union have accused Activision Blizzard and Microsoft of “bad faith bargaining”The complaint has been filed with the NLRB
The complaint has been filed with the NLRB
Image credit:Activision
Image credit:Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Liberty Falls TrailerWatch on YouTube
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Liberty Falls Trailer
Raven Software QA workersformed the union in 2022at theFPSstudio under the name Game Workers Alliance (GWA), with help from the Communication Workers Of America (CWA), followingseveral firings. Even at the time, the workers claimed they faced interference and pushback from management in attempts to “undermine” their efforts. It was a fairly complex back-and-forth involving a limitation on who could actually vote - I recommend reading the coverage linked above to get the full story.
According to Game Developer, “the initial optimism that followed the studio’s unionisation push has now dissipated”, as attempts to reach a collective bargaining agreement have resulted in yet more stonewalling tactics from higher-ups.
“After Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, our members were optimistic that they would progress quickly to a first contract at Raven Software,” said CWA president’s Claude Cummings to Game File. “Unfortunately, that has not happened. We encourage Microsoft to address the concerns raised in the Unfair Labour Practice charge and make reaching a fair agreement a priority.”
Microsoft told Game File they remain “committed to negotiating in good faith,” although the same report points out that Raven’s workers have “yet to make meaningful progress” despite several bargaining attempts since the union’s formation in 2022.
Yesterday, we learned that 44 of 95 workers atGreedfall 2studio Spiderssigned an open letterto their employers detailing several grievances including unsatisfactory working conditions, lack of gender equality and parity, and “global mismanagement”. The workers have called a strike starting next week. In response, Spiders management called the open letter “false and even defamatory accusations” that “in no way reflect the reality of the day-to-day working life of the company’s employees”
Last month, bothBethesda Game StudiosandWorld of Warcraftworkers formed wall-to-wall unions with the help of the CWA.
