Activision Blizzard Faces Accusations of Union Busting and Intimidation in a New Lawsuit

Activision Blizzard's turbulent summer isn't over yet, equally the company now faces all the same another major lawsuit, filed in this case past the company'due south own employees as the Communications Workers of America (CWA) spousal relationship. The bombshell discrimination lawsuit leveled against Activision Blizzard in July has sparked some employee action at the ununionized publisher, including a one-day walkout and the founding of A Better ABK, which aims to abet for better work conditions.

The next logical step could be full-on unionization, but according to the CWA, Activision Blizzard has tried to nip that in the bud past "surveilling employees, interrogating them, making threats and promising benefits." The CWA besides criticized Acti-Blizz's hiring of constabulary firm WilmerHale to perform an audit, as they've gained a reputation for caring more than almost heading off unionization than actually uncovering wrongdoing. CWA organizing director Tom Smith was unsparing in his assessment of Acti-Blizz'southward behavior…

Direction could have responded with humility and a willingness to take necessary steps to address the horrid weather condition some [Activision Blizzard] workers have faced. Instead Activision Blizzard's response to righteous worker activity was surveillance, intimidation and hiring notorious union busters.

Of course, the CWA has a dog in this fight, but regardless of whether you're pro-marriage or non, the kind of heavy-handed coercion they depict isn't something any employee should have to deal with. Activision Blizzard has yet to answer publicly to this story. Like all the lawsuits they currently confront, this one will have its day in court.

For those who haven't been keeping up, California'due south Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has filed arrange against Activision Blizzard, alleging gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment at the Phone call of Duty and World of Warcraft publisher. Activision Blizzard's official response to the suit accuses the DFEH of "distorted […] and false" descriptions and insists the picture painted is "is not the Blizzard workplace of today." An open up letter objecting to the official response was signed by thousands of current and erstwhile Acti-Blizz employees, leading to a worker walkout. Acti-Blizz CEO Bobby Kotick would eventually apologize for the company's initial response, calling it "tone deaf." Several high-ranking Blizzard employees, including onetime president J. Allen Brack and Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft team leaders take resigned or been fired, with their names being stripped for certain characters.