Raven Software gets its union contract with Microsoft three years after voting to organize<p>Employees at Raven Software, known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise, finally have a <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/raven-software-workers-secure-first-contract-microsoft">
union contract with Microsoft[/url]. This happened nearly years after quality assurance (QA) workers at the company <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/raven-software-activision-blizzard-union-game-workers-alliance-195516977.html">
voted to unionize[/url].</p>
<p>Workers voted unanimously to ratify the first contract between the company's Game Workers Alliance-CWA (GWA-CWA) members and Microsoft. This contract includes a guaranteed 10-percent wage increase over two years, along with additional raises through "merit and promotions."</p>
<span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>It also eliminates crunch time, with a requirement to give employees seven days' notice for mandatory overtime. There will be no excessive overtime on back-to-back weeks and "no mandatory overtime of any duration for the majority of weeks in a quarter."</p>
<p>The contract also mandates a "fair promotions process" along with expanded disability accommodations. Finally, there are a spate of layoff protections, including severance, recall rights, COBRA subsidies and career transition services.</p>
<p>As previously stated, these workers voted to unionize three years ago. At the time, it was the first union at Activision Blizzard or any major US publisher. This was before <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-now-officially-belongs-to-microsoft-125053787.html">
Microsoft scooped up Activision[/url].</p>
<p>The past three years have been fraught for Raven's QA workers. An investigation found that Activision <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-raven-software-raises-nlrb-labor-complaint-160729342.html">
had been withholding raises[/url] from unionizing workers and the company's top brass <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/microsoft-and-activision-blizzard-accused-of-bad-faith-bargaining-by-raven-software-union-workers-183040645.html">
were accused of "bad faith bargaining."[/url] Workers at ZeniMax, another company owned by Microsoft, <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/zenimax-and-microsoft-ratify-union-agreement-224148192.html">
secured a contract in June[/url].</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/raven-software-gets-its-union-contract-with-microsoft-three-years-after-voting-to-organize-150133353.html?src=rssSource:
Raven Software gets its union contract with Microsoft three years after voting to organize
