Quality assurance professionals at Blizzard studios in Albany and Austin have officially ratified a union contract with Microsoft, concluding nearly three years of negotiations. The agreement, supported by a majority of workers represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 1118 and 6215, introduces several key workplace improvements.

• Wage increases for QA employees
• Stronger regulations on the use of generative AI in the workplace
• Protections for proper crediting of work
• Enhanced disability accommodations
• Safeguards for immigrant workers, including protection from unfair discipline and loss of seniority, as well as streamlined legal verification
• Restrictions on mandatory overtime to help prevent crunch periods

The three-year contract covers more than 60 QA staff members across both locations. Matt Gant, a senior quality analyst at Blizzard Austin and member of CWA Local 6215, highlighted the contract’s impact on career stability and security. “After nearly two decades in the video game industry, it feels great to work with my fellow union members in ratifying a fair contract that makes it easier to see a real, long-term career in this work,” Gant said. “This agreement gives us a better working environment with increased pay, benefits, and layoff protections that include recall rights and ensures that quality assurance work remains a stable and respected role for the workers who will build games long after us.”

Ron Swaggerty, President of CWA Local 6215, emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Albany and Austin teams during the bargaining process. “By forming a unified bargaining voice, our members strengthened their ability to secure meaningful improvements for everyone in their roles,” Swaggerty stated. “Video game workers continue to set the pace for what organizing and collective bargaining can achieve in 2026 and beyond.”

This contract marks the third union agreement ratified at Microsoft, following similar contracts at ZeniMax and Raven Software last year. The ratification comes shortly after Microsoft implemented significant layoffs across its video game division.

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