According to numerous current and now former Activision-Blizzard workers, executive Brian Bulatao issued a company-wide memo this morning in which the company was urging workers to listen and understand their concerns. After a meeting, the company said the prospect of being an alternative to the current union, the company was very enticed at the opportunity of a union union. Please allow me to take the time to consider the consequences of your signature on the binding legal document submitted by the [labor union communications workers of America], Bulatao or let be real, we have no idea who wrote this, but apparently, Bobby Kotick has a habit of writing these things and assigning them other names to them says. Once you sign this document, you will have agreed to pay the maximum amount of money you have to spend in the contract with CWA to represent them in a collective bargain. That means that your ability to negotiate all your own jobs will be transferred to the state of California, just as is in the document. pic.twitter.com/HqkWiNVP3W Jessica Gonzalez @WeAreRaven (@BlizzJess) December 10, 2021 A Better ABK organizer is already calling out the move. Today I am completely indecisive about our executive leadership at Activision Blizzard who used their companywide email megaphone to attempt to poison the well in regards to unionization, wrote Valentine Powell, an advanced engineer at World of Warcraft. They are trying to convince people against the bargaining process, using scare and misinformation. CODE-CWA issued a statement from Tom Smith, a Director of National Organizing. It’s disappointing to see Activision Blizzard manager at another choice when they could’ve done the right thing, double down and continue to take the low road. Instead of resenting their workers, they’ve opted to turn down the tired anti-union talks points right from the busting script. Union avoidance campaigns waste resources that ABK management could otherwise utilize to address serious concerns such as compensating sexual harassment victims. We hope that management can get to its senses and see their only viable path ahead is to meet the righteous demands from the first walkout, including ensuring that there is a lasting work voice in all business matters. For that reason, the management should commit to becoming more and more neutral in what it means to employees. Finally we want to reiterate that Activision Blizzard employees have the right of workers to work in a free environment, and the right for free is protected by federal labor laws. Organizers have been outraged about Activision-Blizzards union-busting efforts since the start of the fall of California’s lawsuit. One of Activision-Blizzards’ first steps was hiring a supposed external law firm to help it navigate the crisis, a law firm famous for its employing union-busting tactics. This company has now been accused of intimidating workers and shredding evidence related to that lawsuit. Here is a useful guide to how unions use to bust. Source: Twitter, WCA. Activision-Blizzard is considered to be a controversial company in the MMO and the gaming space due to the long string of scandals over the past few years, including the Blitzchung boycott, mass layoffs, labor disputes and the executive pay fiasco. In 2021, the company was sued for a work environment, the state’s governor, for fostering a discrimination, a disastrous response to which has further compounded Blizzards ongoing pipeline issues and a widespread perception of its online games are in decline. As of fall 2021, numerous state and federal agencies are currently investigating the company. The industry has called for Bobby Koticks resignation, citing fresh reports about his misdeeds and pushed into unionization.
