The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, known as CODE-CWA, has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for unfair work practices.
As first reported Protocol, this new lawsuit, filed in the National Labor Relations Board, alleges that Activision Blizzard engaged in intimidation and coercive tactics as employees struggled to openly discuss the pay gap and their desire to end forced arbitration. CODE-CWA, organizer of works and rights of digital workers, filed the lawsuit on behalf of A better ABK – a group of Activision Blizzard employees working to improve working conditions of what is one of the largest video game publishers in the US.
In July, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard for allowing a culture of “constant sexual harassment.” Shortly after the news of the lawsuit, Blizzard employees staged an outing that caught national attention. At Better ABK was created around the time of the release, but it reflects the long-term and ongoing struggles of the publisher’s employees.
An ABK Better released a list of demands which calls, among other things, for “the end of mandatory arbitration clauses in all current and future employee contracts.” This new lawsuit, filed Sept. 10, accuses Activision Blizzard of engaging in “coercive” behavior detrimental to A Better ABK’s attempts to produce change.
“If the NLRB decides in our favor, the ruling will be retroactive and we will set a precedent so that no U.S. worker can be intimidated into talking about forced arbitration,” a Better ABK spokesman said writes on Twitter.
Activision Blizzard is experiencing several staff changes since the lawsuit. J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, left office on August 3. Jesse Meschuk, the company’s global human resources chief, also left the company that same day. Today, Activision Blizzard announced that it has filled two senior management vacancies. Julie Hodges, senior vice president of Disney, will take over as chief executive officer and Delta Airlines chief financial officer Sandeep Dube is the new chief operating officer of Activision Blizzard.
Activision Blizzard did not respond to any requests for comment. CODE-CWA did not respond in time for publication.