Raven Software announced today that its unionized workers have ratified their first contract with Microsoft, three years after negotiations began. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) announced the contract between the Game Workers Alliance-CWA and Microsoft, which it says builds on the contract between Microsoft and ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.
According to the terms of the collective-bargaining agreement, workers are entitled to a guaranteed 10% wage increase over two years, “after going 18 months without wage increases and 45 months without promotions.” The company also must give them at least seven days’ notice of mandatory overtime without scheduling anything on back-to-back weeks, flexible scheduling and no such overtime for the majority of weeks in a quarter.
The agreement also includes protections for temporary workers as well as defined structures for promotions, disability access and layoff protections. Autumn Prazuch, a Raven QA tester and member of the bargaining committee, said of the agreement, “We fought hard for raises and job structures that will finally make QA a sustainable career path, and we were able to negotiate limitations on mandatory crunch. Ratifying this contract is a win for game workers everywhere who are ready to take the first step toward a better future.”
Linda L. Hinton, CWA District 4 VP, said in a statement, “This contract between CWA members and Microsoft is proof that when video game workers organize, they can win lasting changes in the workplace. By reaching an agreement with Microsoft that puts limits on excessive sustained overtime, also known as crunch, these members are tackling one of the most exploitative practices in the industry and setting new standards for quality assurance testers and video game workers overall. We are pleased to welcome these members into the CWA District 4 family.”