Raven Software QA Group Votes To Unionize, Becomes First Major US Games Union

System

Staffers at Activision Blizzard studio Raven Software voted today to be recognized as a union, with the vote successfully carrying the day. As such, this marks the first major US games union to be formed at a major studio.

Read the full story here

Slapshot1188

2023 note in Quarterly Report will say "Anticipate enhanced synergistic savings by consolidating all unit QA work under one roof in Mumbai"

Iselin

Good for them.

Pretty basic workers right - to act collectively to further their self interest - that is too often kneejerk ridiculed by those who believe that workers should be thankful to have jobs, keep quiet and take whatever table scraps the masters want to give them, and the brainwashed corporate fanbois who cheer on those corpofascists,

I could go on...

Neoyoshi

Winning a vote doesn't mean a Union has been created, it just means exactly what it says, a vote for a Union was successful.

Whether the Union will actually be created is a completely different thing, which it probably won't be.

shetlandslarsen

Iselin said:

Good for them.

Pretty basic workers right - to act collectively to further their self interest - that is too often kneejerk ridiculed by those who believe that workers should be thankful to have jobs, keep quiet and take whatever table scraps the masters want to give them, and the brainwashed corporate fanbois who cheer on those corpofascists,

I could go on...

Agree that basic unionisation when done right is a good thing. Protect the workers from corporate sharks.

But Unions could also get to much power and abuse them.

Example: I am from Norway. Yes we are spoiled rich kids because of oil. Yes we get free health care and schools. Heck I even get free dental care because I am disabled. And I live quite comfortably on my disabilty (econ). And no we are not communists 

I worked within healthcare for 15 years before I got sick. But the thing is the union which protect goverment workers has way to much power. Up to a point that it became almost impossible to fire someone who does not do his/her job properly. So if you suck at your job you will still keep it because of the union. Best thing I could hope for as a colleague was to get them transferred to another goverment job. But then they just become some one else problem.

In the private sector though luckily Unions work "normally"  

   

Iselin

shetlandslarsen said:

Iselin said:

Good for them.

Pretty basic workers right - to act collectively to further their self interest - that is too often kneejerk ridiculed by those who believe that workers should be thankful to have jobs, keep quiet and take whatever table scraps the masters want to give them, and the brainwashed corporate fanbois who cheer on those corpofascists,

I could go on...

Agree that basic unionisation when done right is a good thing. Protect the workers from corporate sharks.

But Unions could also get to much power and abuse them.

Example: I am from Norway. Yes we are spoiled rich kids because of oil. Yes we get free health care and schools. Heck I even get free dental care because I am disabled. And I live quite comfortably on my disabilty (econ). And no we are not communists 

I worked within healthcare for 15 years before I got sick. But the thing is the union which protect goverment workers has way to much power. Up to a point that it became almost impossible to fire someone who does not do his/her job properly. So if you suck at your job you will still keep it because of the union. Best thing I could hope for as a colleague was to get them transferred to another goverment job. But then they just become some one else problem.

In the private sector though luckily Unions work "normally"  

   

People should be so lucky that the problem they need to deal with is a too powerful Union.

Yes I'm aware of the Scandinavian democracies and where I live in Canada, we're not too far behind you with our social safety nets. We're the fortunate ones. Most of the world isn't. 

Scot

Oh I see we are allowed to post on this because Christina has not done the article, not everyone is afraid of free speech. What am I going to say....boo! That was shocking I am sure.

Slapshot1188

I’ve previously posted my experience with the Teamsters (locals 295 and 851) so won’t rehash.

Aside from that corruption though, my issue is when employees are forced to join and pay dues.  Make it optional to join and I’ll probably support it every time. 

Scot

Slapshot1188 said:

I’ve previously posted my experience with the Teamsters (locals 295 and 851) so won’t rehash.

Aside from that corruption though, my issue is when employees are forced to join and pay dues.  Make it optional to join and I’ll probably support it every time. 

My experience with unions has been a mixed one; what I have noticed is that regardless of how well the company is doing or how well the union is looking after its members, the union delegates are always doing nicely thank you very much. That said this union is new, so I would imagine that will be less pronounced here.

TheDalaiBomba

Unions are a tool, like any other (including things like regulations).

Tools are not, by their nature, good or bad.  They're simply catalysts for a specific sort of change goal.  Need a nail in wood?  The hammer is your catalyst.  Need some collective leverage to counter an oppressive corporate workplace?  The union is your catalyst.

The hammer can be abused- hell, it has been used to kill more times than can be counted.  In a morbid way, it is still a catalyst for a perverted goal even then.  But no one thinks the hammer is bad or evil because of it.  Unions are much the same.  The way they're used by their members is what makes them good or bad.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

nyxium

Unions might just about work in the public sector. In the private sector gaming industry.. is this an ActiBlizz outsourcing announcement waiting to happen? Good luck anyway, Raven people.

Akulas

You know what happens when you join a union? You get $4 an hour more, get put on a higher pay level and have some short guy talking loudly about the people. Then your 6-4 job becomes a 11-3 job.

Finvega

UAW, Teamsters, Teachers Unions, I could go on...

Kyleran

Finvega said:

UAW, Teamsters, Teachers Unions, I could go on...

Airway Traffic Control Operators..  

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

harken33

Like Iselin (who is beginning to sound more and more like Johnny Silverhand ) I live in Canada (although on the opposite coast) with vast social programs / safety nets to assist most folks hopefully in their darkest times. I was fortunate enough in my field for my employment to not be affected from the recent pandemic but know people who had to rely on these programs to survive in a 2year lockdown and we were glad they existed for them.

Just a little curious about the article calling it the first major US games union. Does that mean that all several hundred Raven employees automatically must join the union if it is formed? Or does major refer to 20ish people in the QA department that voted to form it?

If its only the QA folks a union of 20ish doesn't  seem to have much clout unlike say the International brotherhood of electricians who have 70,000 members in Canada alone. Are they a subsidiary of a more powerful union?

Also going by that picture with some of the employees where they won, all  are raising their fists in solidarity together with one deciding to keep his hands in his pockets. I know who i would assume was a corporate sellout and voted against it. Once formed kicking him out should be on the agenda     /THIS IS A JOKE

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Scot

Kyleran said:

Finvega said:

UAW, Teamsters, Teachers Unions, I could go on...

Airway Traffic Control Operators..  

Have a guess which European country is responsible for more than a third of Europe's flight delay's?

They even have a name for it 'gréviculture' which means strike culture. Our good friends the French.

That's political and I admire the French, well not the strike culture but certainly the culture. So no more such posts here.

harken33

Scot said:

Kyleran said:

Finvega said:

UAW, Teamsters, Teachers Unions, I could go on...

Airway Traffic Control Operators..  

Have a guess which European country is responsible for more than a third of Europe's flight delay's?

They even have a name for it 'gréviculture' which means strike culture. Our good friends the French.

That's political and I admire the French, well not the strike culture but certainly the culture. So no more such posts here.

Aha the first thing i thought of when Kyleran mentioned the Air traffic controllers was their strike in the 80's which since they were federal employees was apparently against the rules.

President Ronald Reagan ordered them back to work or they would be fired etc etc, they did not return as they wanted more negotiation and planes cant fly without them, so Reagan fired them all and banned them for working for the federal government for life (maybe just as air traffic controllers) and used the military to direct flights while they hired new people. He effectively broke that union.

Not sure that kind of thing would happen with today's social media generation.

Mendel

Congratulations, I suppose.  Now, will this mean better games for the customers?

Might I point out to the Blizzard spokesman that 22 of 350 is closer to 5% than 10%.  6.28%, to be precise.  If you're going to be petty with the numbers, be accurate.

Iselin

harken33 said:

Like Iselin (who is beginning to sound more and more like Johnny Silverhand ) I live in Canada (although on the opposite coast) with vast social programs / safety nets to assist most folks hopefully in their darkest times. I was fortunate enough in my field for my employment to not be affected from the recent pandemic but know people who had to rely on these programs to survive in a 2year lockdown and we were glad they existed for them.

Just a little curious about the article calling it the first major US games union. Does that mean that all several hundred Raven employees automatically must join the union if it is formed? Or does major refer to 20ish people in the QA department that voted to form it?

If its only the QA folks a union of 20ish doesn't  seem to have much clout unlike say the International brotherhood of electricians who have 70,000 members in Canada alone. Are they a subsidiary of a more powerful union?

Also going by that picture with some of the employees where they won, all  are raising their fists in solidarity together with one deciding to keep his hands in his pockets. I know who i would assume was a corporate sellout and voted against it. Once formed kicking him out should be on the agenda     /THIS IS A JOKE

What do you mean my paycheck is late, corposcum?

Kootur

Iselin said:

Good for them.

Pretty basic workers right - to act collectively to further their self interest - that is too often kneejerk ridiculed by those who believe that workers should be thankful to have jobs, keep quiet and take whatever table scraps the masters want to give them, and the brainwashed corporate fanbois who cheer on those corpofascists,

I could go on...

They will get replaced, they aren't that qualified or important. 

TheDalaiBomba

Kootur said:

Iselin said:

Good for them.

Pretty basic workers right - to act collectively to further their self interest - that is too often kneejerk ridiculed by those who believe that workers should be thankful to have jobs, keep quiet and take whatever table scraps the masters want to give them, and the brainwashed corporate fanbois who cheer on those corpofascists,

I could go on...

They will get replaced, they aren't that qualified or important. 

Actually, they're in a pretty good industry for such collective bargaining considering the ongoing talent shortage globally:

https://www.daxx.com/blog/development-trends/software-developer-shortage-us