Activision Blizzard‘s Platform Engineering Team in Texas Forms Union
Workers from the Platform Engineering team at Activision Blizzard in Austin, Texas, have voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), marking the latest organizing effort within the gaming giant. The move follows recent layoffs impacting dedicated and passionate employees, prompting a desire for greater workplace control and stability.
“hard-working, passionate coworkers [were] arbitrarily laid off.We are excited to have greater control over our workplace to minimize the suffering caused by future layoffs in the industry,” stated Alex Kohn, Senior Data Scientist and a member of the organizing committee. “by forming a union,we can have a voice in our working conditions to empower ourselves to do our best work at Blizzard.”
The successful unionization builds on a growing trend of worker organization within Activision Blizzard and the wider video game industry.CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. recently visited the Activision Blizzard campus in Irvine, California, to show support for organizing efforts, joining over 100 workers from various Activision Blizzard and Microsoft studios in a solidarity walk alongside the World of Warcraft Bargaining Committee.
Workers cite concerns over job security, fair compensation, and adequate accommodations as key drivers for unionization. “I’ve seen too many of my talented coworkers leave the company,either due to layoffs,a lack of fair compensation,or proper accommodations not being met,” said Timothy biley,Senior Quality Analyst and organizing committee member. “I’m extremely happy that we, the workers, have greater control over our workplace and that we finally have a seat at the table to truly make Blizzard a company we are proud to work for.”
The organizing effort has also been described as empowering for those involved. Dale Chou, Senior Localization Producer and organizing committee member, noted, “Organizing moved my mindset from something passive and reactive to something that is active and promotes agency in my life. There is work involved to build our own union, but the work is well worth it to protect the good of Blizzard.”
This latest unionization coincides with the launch of united Videogame Workers-CWA (UVW-CWA), a new industry-wide union aiming to build power for video game workers regardless of employer. Interested workers can learn more at https://code-cwa.org/content/39404.
CWA leaders emphasized the significance of the organizing wave in California and beyond. “With each new Blizzard unit organizing, California continues to become the proving ground for tech and video game power,” said Jason Justice, CWA Local 9510 President. “Workers here are redefining what it means to work in entertainment-moving from passion alone to power through solidarity.”
Ron Swaggerty, CWA Local 6215 President, added, “Blizzard workers in Texas are joining a new generation of video game developers who know their worth and are standing up for it. Together with our siblings in California and beyond, they’re proving that no matter where you work, organizing is how we make this industry enduring for the people who power it.”
The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) supports these efforts, working to build worker power within the tech, game, and digital industries. More details about CODE-CWA can be found at https://code-cwa.org/.
