Activision Quality Assurance Workers Vote to Authorize Strike

Ahead of next week’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 early access launch, workers at Microsoft-owned Activision Publishing vote to strike if necessary to achieve a fair union contract

NATIONWIDE — On Thursday, October 15, quality assurance testers at Activision Publishing—represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 6215, 7250, and 9400—have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike following recent delays at the bargaining table, giving CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. the authority to call for a strike if negotiations continue to stall. Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA (AQAU-CWA) and Activision have been negotiating for a first contract for over two years.

Yesterday, workers held an action outside the Activision Publishing building in Bloomington, Minn. The breakdown in negotiations caused by the company’s delays comes at a critical time in the production and release cycle of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, one of Activision’s most profitable franchises. The heavily awaited video game will be available for early access on Friday, October 16, with a worldwide launch on October 23.

“Bargaining has been a long, exhausting process spanning over two years, with our committee making responsible moves while the company continues to stall on critical issues like wages, accommodations, and worker protections,” said AQAU-CWA bargaining committee member and QA Functional Tester Emily Danko. “Despite our efforts to bargain in good faith, meaningful progress has been difficult, leaving key issues unresolved. Our members remain united and continue to mobilize, but we are exploring every option available to secure the fair contract we deserve.”

CWA represents nearly 2,500 workers at Activision-Blizzard. At Activision, these workers are behind the development of several popular video games within the Call of Duty franchise. In March 2024, nearly 600 quality assurance testers became one of the first groups of workers to organize at Activision, following in the footsteps of quality assurance workers at Raven Software two years prior. Shortly after forming a union, members of AQAU-CWA’s bargaining committee engaged in contract negotiations with Activision Publishing in August 2024. After two years of bargaining, the members of the AQAU-CWA bargaining table state that Activision has failed to bargain in good faith over key issues, including wage increases, guardrails on AI usage, the company’s usage of contractors, and workers’ rights to seek accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Activision’s stalling at the bargaining table shows that they are not the high-road, union-neutral employer they once committed themselves to be and are instead aggressively fighting us in bad faith at the table,” said AQAU-CWA bargaining committee member and QA Functional Tester Jenna Huffman. “Our members are tired of the stalling and are prepared to do what needs to be done to secure a fair contract, a fair wage, and fair working conditions for everyone.”

“For two years, Activision Publishing has delayed and stalled negotiations rather than doing their duty to bargain in good faith with the dedicated workers who work on profit-shattering titles that the gaming community enjoys dearly,” said CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister. “The results of the strike authorization vote send a clear message to Activision management: it is time to stop playing games because our members are united and prepared to do what it takes to win the strong contract they deserve.”

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The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion