Quality assurance workers at Blizzard Albany and Austin, who work on major titles including World of Warcraft, have voted to ratify a new union contract with parent company Microsoft, designed to introduce better workplace protections and pay. Per a release from the Communications Workers of America, this is the third union contract ratified under Microsoft, following similar moves at Raven Software and ZeniMax Online Studios.
Blizzard QA ratifies new union contract – quick links
What Blizzard’s new QA union contract secures
A new union contract to protect QA workers at Blizzard Albany and Austin has been in negotiation since May 2023, with bargaining units working alongside Microsoft to ensure a fair deal. Workers sought to obtain more security overall, in a time where mass layoffs have become common, as well as increased wages to deal with the rising cost of living.
‘At a time when layoffs are hitting our industry hard, today is another big step in building a better future for video game workers at every level,’ Brock Davis, quality analyst and union member said.
‘For quality assurance testers, this contract provides us wages to live on, increased job security benefits, and guardrails around artificial intelligence in the workplace.’
As shared, the new three-year union contract includes guaranteed wage increases, protection for name crediting on shipped titles, reasonable accomodations for disability, protection to immigrant workers from ‘unfair discipline and loss of seniority while streamlining legal verification’, and restrictions on mandatory and/or excessive overtime ‘crunch’ hours.
Additionally, the new contract ensures ‘advanced regulations’ around the use of AI and generative AI at Blizzard, with the guarantee that AI ‘supports, not replaces or harms, workers’.
Why a new union contract at Blizzard was necessary
As shared by various members of the Blizzard union, and at the CWA, the new union contract for QA workers was necessary to ensure the stability of jobs at the company, and to protect against a range of challenges currently facing the games industry.
‘After nearly two decades in the video game industry, it feels great to work with my fellow union members in ratifying a fair contract that makes it easier to see a real, long-term career in this work,’ Matt Gant, senior quality analyst and union member said.
‘This agreement gives us a better working environment with increased pay, benefits, and layoff protections that include recall rights and ensures that quality assurance work remains a stable and respected role for the workers who will build games long after us.’
The focus is on building a sustainable future, with newly-ratified protections guaranteeing stronger rights in the workplace, and that workers can continue to contribute to Blizzard in meaningful ways, with an added layer of security and protection.
‘For more than two years, our members in Albany were clear about the standards they wanted to set in the workplace,’ said John Van Denburgh III, CWA Local 1118 President.
‘Bargaining alongside our union siblings … gave our members the opportunity to bring those priorities to Microsoft respectfully, reaching an agreement that reflects the needs of quality assurance workers in both locations.’
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