The move follows Activision Blizzard firing one-third of its Quality Assurance Staff (QA) at Raven shortly before Christmas. There have been months of employee action around the rights of QA contract workers working to test Activision Call of Duty content. “Over the past two years, Call of Duty has expanded and evolved,” said Josh Taub, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in an email to employees. Our growth cycles have been transformed from an annual release to an “always active” model. In response to greater commitment, we have increased our live service activities across all platforms. Our offers now include season cards, operators and the amazing content available in our stores. We have also increased our workforce and support in our studios, along with exciting new mobile designs. ” To paraphrase the rest of the email, Taub thanked the QA staff and assured them that they are still a vital part of the development process. But in a statement to The Verge, Communications Workers of America secretary-treasurer Sara Steffens said the changes were a result of staff speaking out. “It’s particularly gratifying when Activision excluded Raven Software QA employees who were at the forefront of this effort from these benefits. “The company’s claim that the National Labor Relations Act prevents them from including Raven workers is clearly an attempt to divide employees and undermine their attempt to form a union,” he said. The labor alliance, ABetterABK, also issued a statement on Twitter. We are pleased to announce that today, ABK announced that 1,100 Quality Assurance auditors will be converted to full-time and will receive a salary increase, effectively making their salaries $ 20 / hour. – ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) April 7, 2022
