The California-based gaming company “threatened employees who could not talk or communicate about wages, hours and working conditions” and also “engaged in surveillance” and “interrogation” of employees who advocated better working conditions. , according to a complaint.
The charge was filed Friday at the National Labor Relations Board by prominent Communications Workers of America (CWA) media unions, who shared a copy of the complaint with CNN Business.
“Activision Blizzard’s response to the activity of fair workers was the surveillance, intimidation and hiring of famous unionists,” CWA national organizing director Tom Smith said in a statement. “We have filed these charges to ensure that the actions of ABK’s management will not go unanswered,” he added. (It was not immediately known how many employees supported the complaint; CWA declined to comment beyond its statement).
It is the latest development after months of exploration against Activision Blizzard by U.S. government authorities, as well as the dissent of its own employees.
The lawsuit alleged a “frat boy” work culture where several working women were subject to gender discrimination, sexual harassment and unequal pay, and that “company executives and HR staff knew about the harassment and not they took reasonable steps to prevent illegal conduct and instead retaliated against the women who complained. ” (In its initial response to the lawsuit, the company said it would investigate the allegations, but also described them as “inaccurate” and “distorted”).
But that didn’t stop dozens of employees from taking a walk on the company’s campus in Irvine, California, with hundreds more virtually joining them. Some of the demands included greater wage transparency and an end to compulsory arbitration.
