Whenever Activision Blizzard has appeared in the news of late, it has usually been for the wrong reasons as the company still grapples with a toxic and misogynistic culture.
This week is slightly different though, as the company announced that 1 100 part-time game testers would be made full-time testers and given the “benefits” that the position comes with. In particular they’re getting higher monthly salaries and a base hourly rate of $20.
“Today we announced the conversion of all US-based temporary and contingent QA team members at Activision Publishing (AP) and Blizzard – nearly 1,100 people in total – to permanent full-time employees starting July 1. Additionally, we are increasing the minimum hourly rate for these team members to $20/hr or more effective April 17. These employees also will be eligible to participate in the company’s bonus plan and will have access to full company benefits,” the company said in a statement.
“This change follows a process that began last year across AP and Blizzard of converting temporary and contingent employees, including 500 at AP’s studios, to permanent full-time employees,” it adds.
Before Activision Blizzard pats itself on the back following this latest game testers announcement, a caveat has come to light. More specifically it looks like Raven Software QA testers have been excluded from the aforementioned 1 100 testers.
Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier confirmed this in his own report following an email from Raven Software SVP, Brian Raffel, noting that, “Due to our legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act, we are prohibited from making new kinds of compensation changes at Raven at this time.”
The compensation changes that Raffel is referring to, is in direct relation to recent unionising efforts by employees at Raven Software under the Game Workers Alliance. This is something that Activision Blizzard failed to disclose to media outlets this week when making the announcement.
As such, it looks like both Activision Blizzard and Raven Software are trying to frame the union as a direct impediment to receiving full-time pay and benefits.
It is also something that Communications Workers of America secretary-treasurer, Sara Steffens, is acutely aware of.
“It’s especially galling then that Activision has excluded Raven Software QA workers, who have been at the forefront of this effort, from these benefits. The company’s assertion that the National Labor Relations Act prevents them from including Raven workers is clearly an effort to divide workers and undermine their effort to form a union (Game Workers Alliance – CWA),” she told The Verge in a statement.
“Activision’s disingenuous announcement is further evidence of the need for workers to have a protected voice on the job. We strongly urge Activision Blizzard to rectify this situation and respect Raven QA workers’ protected right to organize under the law,” she added.
The company is crying foul, however, noting in a reply to the publication that it is operating within well defined law.
“The union’s assertion is both wrong and disingenuous. It is well known that, during an election petition period, the law prevents an employer from extending new kinds of benefits to employees who are going to be voting. See National Labor Relations Board v. Exchange Parts Co., 375 U.S. 405 (1964), and the associated cases, for discussion of these rules. The CWA is blaming us for trying to comply with the law by pretending the law does not exist,” spokesperson, Rich George noted.
As such, it sours what should have been an otherwise positive announcement for game testers and certainly fits within the modus operandi of Activision Blizzard of late.
[Source – The Verge]
