Unionized staff members at Raven Software have filed a complaint against developer Activision Blizzard and its parent company Microsoft. The workers filed a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board under multiple categories of offenses. The complaint is part of a series of labor efforts in the gaming industry that have burgeoned in 2024. Multiple attempts at unionization have been successful across major companies. Here is what you should know about this latest complaint.
Raven Software Union Beginnings
Raven Software is a game development company founded in Madison, Wisconsin, presently headquartered in Middleton. Formed by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel in 1990, the developer came into prominence for its dark fantasy FPS series Heretic. In August of 1997, Raven Software was purchased by Activision to the tune of $12 million. It still serves as a subsidiary of Activision, now known as Activision Blizzard, to this day. The developer is recognized for its work on multiple high-profile series’, most prominently the Call of Duty franchise. This came about in 2011 when Raven Software was enlisted to act as a supporting developer for other companies, including Infinity Ward and Treyarch.
In 2022, a group of 28 quality assurance employees from Raven Software won a bid to form a union. Organized as the Game Workers Alliance, this union formed in the aftermath of a series of strike actions over several weeks. Around this same time, Activision Blizzard was finalizing a deal to be acquired by Microsoft. Initially, the Communication Workers of America (CWA), a U.S. labor union representing communications and media workers, was thrilled with the acquisition. CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. stated at the time that the buyout embodied “a new day for workers at Activision Blizzard.” But that elation did not last long, as this new complaint indicates.
The Complaint
First reported at GameFile, the accusations lodged by Raven Software against its parent companies contain numerous charges. Some of these include “Bad Faith Bargaining” and “Concerted Activities.” Concerted Activities can comprise various practices, including disciplinary actions, retaliation, and discharges. All of this has occurred in the midst of Raven Software employees attempting to strike a collective bargaining agreement with their parent companies. As published at IGN, CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. had this to say regarding the complaint:
“After Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, our members were optimistic that they would progress quickly to a first contract at Raven Software,” Communications Workers of America (CWA) president Claude Cummings Jr. said. “Unfortunately, that has not happened. We encourage Microsoft to address the concerns raised in the Unfair Labor Practice charge and make reaching a fair agreement a priority.”
Any specifics to allegations regarding the complaint are not currently known; the CWA has declined to comment about them. A spokesperson from Microsoft stated that the company is “committed to negotiating in good faith.” It is unlikely that the public will receive any additional information soon as the National Labor Relations Board investigates the charges and renders a verdict. But more complaints of this nature may be filed in the future as game companies reckon with the shifting sands of their business.
Labor in the Gaming Industry
2024 has been an embattled year for the gaming industry. Workers have suffered from widespread, catastrophic layoffs. Entire studios have found themselves shuttered. Video games have become the world’s top entertainment source, generating global revenue higher than the music and movie industries combined. Over time, video games have become more grandiose in scale and cost. Crunch times and high expectations have the workers shouldering much of the burden. Teams have tried to keep pace with the requisite levels of exertion needed to produce high-budget and cinematic titles. While this model has previously been successful, things are beginning to break down.
The growing labor movement in the gaming industry is responding to these changes. In July of 2024, Bethesda Game Studios became the first Microsoft studio to unionize, a large victory for the CWA who assisted in the efforts. More fire is being held to the feet of higher-ups in the business. With regards to Activision Blizzard, this complaint is not the first negative publicity they have suffered regarding their practices. In May of 2022, U.S. labor board prosecutors determined that the company had illegally threatened staff members and implemented social media policies that infringed on their rights. While that investigation favored the workers, it remains to be seen what the outcome of this latest complaint will be.
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