Blizzard Albany QA Team Granted Union Vote

The National Labor Relations Board has given the green light to the Blizzard Albany QA team's bid for a unionization vote. According to reports, this decision was made on Tuesday. Activision Blizzard had attempted to broaden the scope of the unionization vote to include the entire studio, rather than limiting it to the QA team's 21 members. This move was seen as an effort to reduce the likelihood of a vote in favor of unionization. However, the NLRB rejected this argument, citing the QA team's distinctively low pay - approximately $42,000 per year, compared to the $56,000 to $175,000 earned by other studio employees - as a valid reason for them to be considered a separate group. This is not the first time Activision Blizzard has attempted to expand a QA team unionization vote to include the entire studio. A similar bid was made at Raven Software, but it was also unsuccessful, and the Raven QA team ultimately voted to form a union earlier this year. An Activision Blizzard spokesperson expressed disagreement with the NLRB's decision, stating that a choice with significant implications for the entire Diablo team in Albany should not be made by a small group of employees. The spokesperson argued that all eligible non-supervisory employees at the Albany studio should have a say in the matter. Despite Activision Blizzard's concerns, the unionization effort has garnered support from other parts of the studio. A non-QA employee expressed support for the QA team, stating that they are undervalued by corporate and in dire need of union representation. The unionization vote is set to take place later this month, with the results expected to be announced on November 18.