“With this win, we are advocating for ourselves and for each other because we care deeply about our work and the games we make,” said Amanda Deep, associate testing analyst at Blizzard Albany, in a CWA press release celebrating the win. “Our colleagues at Raven inspired us when they announced the formation of the Game Workers Alliance/CWA. We can only hope that our victory will continue to grow the labor movement in other video game studios across the country.
In a statement to The edge, Activision spokesperson Joe Christinat said: “We are considering all options, with a focus on what’s best for all employees and bringing the best games to our millions of players. We still believe that our entire Albany team should have the right to vote. This is about basic fairness and rights for every member of the team.”
Now both sides have five days to file objections, and if none are filed, GWA Albany will begin the negotiation process as she and Activision Blizzard try to reach a contract. The Raven Software union has been involved in the contracting process for over a year now.
Update December 2, 1:20 PM ET: Added statements from Activision Blizzard and a member of GWA Albany.
