Labor alliance ABetterABK has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for intimidation, surveillance of its employees and obstruction of unions.
A new complaint which is added to the pile of those received by the video game giant since this summer.
Read also:Activision Blizzard targeted by a complaint of discrimination and sexual harassment
Intimidation and pressure
This complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the independent federal agency that protects the rights of private sector employees to organize and participate in union elections, by an alliance of Activision Blizzard workers, supported by the Communications Workers Guild of America (CWA). The complaint accuses the company of using coercive methods and illegal behavior for six months with its employees who are fighting for better working conditions.
In the complaint, we can read for example that Activision Blizzard "prohibited its employees from speaking or communicating about wages, hours or working conditions", "intensified its policy on the use of social networks by targeting employees active in the fight for better working conditions” or “set up surveillance of employees engaged in the fight and conducted interrogations with them”.
The CWA issued a press release in the process to explain more precisely this complaint: "It is their right, as workers, to organize for a work environment free from abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment. , and this right is protected by federal labor law. »
Read also:Activision Blizzard: after a historic day of strike, the executive takes the floor but struggles to convince
One more
This new complaint is therefore in addition to the largest complaints filed during the summer, in particular by the California Department of Employment and Fair Housing. This is based on a two-year investigation which brought up the toxic behavior of members of the management of Activision Blizzard: bro culture, discrimination, racism, sexual harassment...
Since then, tongues have been wagging, and employees, supported by workers in the video game industry and beyond, have been fighting to make a difference. If Activision Blizzard has implemented some concrete actions (layoff of incriminated employees, removal of references to them in games with, for example, the renaming of the hero McCree in Overwatch, etc.), they are still struggling to convince. The latest news, the giant has hired Julie Hodges, former vice president of human resources at the Walt Disney Company, as the new "chief people officer", or director of human resources. Hoping that their strategy promoting diversity and inclusivity within the company will be positively affected.
