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Gaming developer Activision Blizzard announced it will transition roughly 1,100 U.S.-based contract quality assurance workers to full time, increasing its publishing arm’s workforce by 25%.
Following years of criticism over its working conditions, the “Call of Duty” developer said in a statement that the workers’ salaries will also be bumped to $20 per hour with full access to company benefits.
Shortly before Microsoft announced it would acquire Activision for $68.7 billion in January, “Call of Duty” testers at Activision-owned Raven Software began to push for a union following 20 job cuts in December despite the company converting 500 temporary jobs to full-time the same month.
Activision said it would not recognize the studio as a union, which led to the National Labor Relations Board hearing arguments from both sides. A ruling has not yet been issued.
The pay incentives will not be applied to Raven Software testers “due to legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act.”
Activision said it has nothing to do with the workers’ choice to unionize.
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