Raven Software Workers Call Off Strike After Announcing Union: ‘We Are Acting in Good Faith’
Members of the Raven Software QA team, alongside other Activision Blizzard workers, have called off their strike action. The news follows on from Friday’s announcement, which confirmed that members of the QA team had officially voted to unionize.
The decision to end strike action was announced on social media by the Activision Blizzard Workers Alliance Twitter account. “Pending the recognition of our union, the Raven QA strike has ended,” read a statement from the account, which then went on to thank the community for its support throughout the strike.
Pending the recognition of our union, the Raven QA strike has ended. Unused strike funds are being stored for future organizing/strike efforts.
We’ll post or retweet any GWU updates here. Appreciate all the community support throughout the strike!
— ABetterABK ? ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) January 23, 2022
The group highlighted it was still waiting for positive or negative recognition of its union from Activision Blizzard, but that it was “acting in good faith and asking for good faith,” by ending the strike.
The group also point out that remaining money from strike movement’s crowdfunding campaign will be stored and used in any further unionization or strike efforts.
Please no not misquote here media: we have asked to be recognized under GWA, *pending* refers to pending response from leadership. Either positive or negative. We are acting in good faith and asking for good faith. https://t.co/H8dOjsaXjO
— ABetterABK ? ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) January 23, 2022
Following the group’s request for voluntary recognition from leadership last week, Activision Blizzard issued an extended statement to IGN regarding the union saying that the company is “carefully reviewing the request,” and that it “deeply respects the rights of all employees under the law to make their own decisions about whether or not to join a union.”
The latest strike action at Activision Blizzard began in December as workers at Raven Software looked to stand in solidarity with members of the QA department whose contracts were terminated at the studio early last month. The strike marks the third time workers have downed tools at Activision Blizzard since the company became involved in a lawsuit over sexual harassment and misconduct claims last year.
After strike action began, those involved in the protests set up a fund in order to help raise money for those being affected by the strikes. According to the Workers Alliance, the fundraiser, which raised over $375,000 has been used support with wages for striking coworkers, and to assist with relocation costs for any Raven QA who the group believes has had to move unassisted “at the behest of A/B/K”. With the strike action now coming to an end, the group says that leftover funds “are being stored for future organizing/strike efforts.”
For more from the ABK Workers Alliance, make sure to check out this article detailing the group’s response to Xbox’s recent announcement stating the company’s intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $8.7 billion.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
