Posts tagged Activision Blizzard
Pour One Out For The Bosses: Activision Blizzard Loses Second Union Vote
December 5, 2022 // Activision Blizzard’s playbook came up short again. Despite delays, legal appeals, and threats to workers that organizing would lead to lower pay raises, quality assurance developers at the Diablo production studio Blizzard Albany voted 14-0 to unionize today. The Game Workers Alliance Albany are now the second group inside Activision Blizzard to form a union, and the latest testament to a growing labor movement within the larger gaming industry. Among the 18 staff eligible to vote, 14 voted in favor with one vote disqualified and three more challenged by the employer. Both sides have five days to file any objections to today’s results. If neither objects, the group will go on to be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and begin the tough process of bargaining with Activision Blizzard on its first contract over issues like pay, overtime, and health benefits.
Activision Blizzard wants all Diablo 4 employees to vote on unionizing
August 19, 2022 // The Post’s report says Blizzard’s lawyers showed a trailer of Diablo 4 in its arguments in an attempt to support their statement that everyone involved in the franchise’s development should have a vote in whether the campus should unionize. It didn’t mention what the rationale of showing this trailer in support of the argument was, though, nor did Blizzard explain why it made public the names and occupation status of several employees working on the project.
Minnesota’s union membership hits 14-year high point
August 15, 2022 // Safety and wage issues brought to the forefront during the pandemic are a big reason, union organizers and experts said. But so is the severe labor shortage and a pro-union Biden administration. "We've seen two years of growth. Minnesota's union density is the highest it has been in a decade," said Minnesota AFL-CIO spokesman Chris Shields. "Barring a recession or economic downturn, it's likely we'll continue to see some modest growth." Younger workers are driving most organizing efforts in Minnesota. Half Price Books, Peace Coffee, Minnesota Historical Society, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Guthrie Theater Foundation, Minnesota United FC Soccer, Aaron Sojourner, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, Google Fiber workers,
Strippers are helping fuel the spike in US unionizing efforts
August 8, 2022 // More than a dozen of the club's dancers say they've been locked out for four-plus months because they petitioned the owners to reinstate two of their fired colleagues, improve security and safety measures, and recognize their right to form a union. US strippers haven't successfully unionized since the effort at San Francisco's Lusty Lady in the 1990s, but the Star Garden workers are trying anyway — and they're doing so in an environment where more American workers are leveraging their own power. Christian Sweeney,
Labor union tells FTC it supports Microsoft’s Activision acquisition
July 5, 2022 // “Microsoft’s binding commitments will give employees a seat at the table and ensure that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard benefits the company’s workers and the broader video game labor market,” CWA President Christopher Shelton said in the letter to the FTC.
How Microsoft’s union agreement could shape the rest of the tech industry
June 21, 2022 // It remains to be seen how Microsoft’s neutrality agreement will impact broader tech labor organizing efforts—including among its own staff. A former Microsoft employee and tech worker organizer who asked not to be named tells Fast Company that a major shortcoming of the agreement was that it only applies to Activision, which could create a “division” between Microsoft employees. pro-labor tech workers
Top Five Labor Law Developments for May 2022
June 17, 2022 // Geodis Logistics, Video game testers, No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act,
Microsoft signs ‘labor neutrality agreement’ with union representing Activision Blizzard employees
June 15, 2022 // Due to significant workplace issues within the larger video game industry, such as poor scheduling and hire-and-fire cycles, unionization efforts have been growing on a grassroots level for at least the last four years. The CWA agreement with Microsoft marks one of the most significant steps forward for the overall movement, and while Microsoft’s responsibilities all amount to simply staying out of the way, it remains one of the most pro-union moves by a major industry player to date.
Microsoft’s union pledge, and the new era of organized labor in tech
June 8, 2022 // Courtney said he sees a direct connection between Microsoft’s announcement, the pending Activision-Blizzard acquisition, and President Joe Biden’s promise to run the most pro-union administration in U.S. history. TODD BISHOP, Marcus Courtney, software tester, principles for employee organizing and engagement with labor organizations, Margaret O’Mara, University of Washington, regulatory approval, video-game testers,
Microsoft promises to engage with employee unions
June 7, 2022 // “Recent unionization campaigns across the country — including in the tech sector — have led us to conclude that inevitably these issues will touch on more businesses, potentially including our own,” said Microsoft president Brad Smith, in a blog post last week. “This has encouraged us to think proactively about the best approach for our employees, shareholders, customers, and other stakeholders.” Thomas A. Kochan, MIT Sloan School of Management, Axios, Sara Steffens, Denise M. Rousseau, Carnegie Mellon University, Brad Smith,