They started with fliers. The group of World of Warcraft developers at Activision Blizzard, determined to unionize, were testing the waters after Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition. Microsoft had pledged to honor a labor neutrality agreement, active 60 days after the deal's close, that would allow workers to explore collective bargaining without fear. Even with that agreement on their side, developers were still nervous about even showing interest in a union, says Paul Cox, a senior quest designer who served on the union's organizing committee. 'Prior to [the agreement], we had a lot of people who were like, 'I'm interested, but I'm really worried about retaliation. I am terrified about getting my name put anywhere.'' he adds. That fear wasn't unfounded. Prior to Microsoft's acquisition, when they were still under Activision Blizzard's leadership, unionized quality assurance workers at a studio in Albany, New York, accused management of engaging in union busting tactics. According...
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