Activision Publishing produces some of the most profitable titles in the history of gaming; the Call of Duty franchise alone generates billions of dollars, with millions of concurrent players every year. However, as Quality Assurance workers for Activision Publishing, we are regularly undercompensated and undervalued, despite our essential role in the development of such highly regarded titles.
We, the workers of Activision Publishing QA in Austin, TX, Eden Prairie, MN, and El Segundo, CA have come together to form one large union and fight side-by-side for our rights as workers. The dread and uncertainty of the recent layoffs, and the opportunity afforded by the Neutrality Agreement have pushed us to combine organizing efforts, and collectively address our issues.
We choose to build our union on these foundational principles:
- Democracy: As a worker-led union, it’s impossible for us to be heard without fair, equal, proportional representation that is directly beholden to our members.
- Diversity: By embracing everyone’s unique skills and backgrounds, we are all capable of doing far more together than we could ever do individually.
- Equity: The long history of systemic inequality within our country has made it impossible for us to ignore the unique needs of our members and must be addressed collectively wherever possible.
- Solidarity: Our power comes from us standing together in unity; an injury to one is an injury to all.
- Transparency: Transparency is the only way our union can uphold our other principles, and must be defended.
In order for us to make gainful strides in our careers we need fair comprehensive compensation that keeps-up with changing economic conditions, career development opportunities local to our regions with a realistic attainable pathway, and a healthy work-life balance that contributes to our overall growth.
As the largest union to seek recognition in the games industry in the United States to-date, we know that we will have the collective power to not only transform our lives at work but we will also play a pivotal role in lifting standards for fellow workers across our industry. By coming together, we will start a new historic chapter in the labor movement. To all of our coworkers, we are stronger together and it’s time for us to use our collective voice to make a brighter tomorrow for ourselves and our industry.
In unity,
Activision Quality Assurance United - CWA Organizing Committee:
Allen Junge, QAMN
Andrea Livingston, QALA
Andrew Snell, QAMN
Ben Ledinsky, QAMN
Brendan Doyle, QAMN
Brendan Wilkinson, QATX
Chase Rhodes, QATX
Chris Lawabni, QAMN
Dylan Grahn, QAMN
Emily Danko, QAMN
Ira Piros, QAMN
Jasmine Ying, QALA
Jenna Huffman, QATX
Julian Pecino, QATX
Kara Fannon, QAMN
Leo Brochu, QAMN
Liam Cobb, QATX
Lorian Rendino, QATX
Luis Velazquez, QAMN
Michael Holmlund, QAMN
Nate Milbrandt, QAMN
Nick Gordon, QAMN
Tom Shelley, QALA
Tony Perkins, QAMN
Victoria Thornburg, QAMN