Blizzard workers strike and GoFundMe page!

[|Dexter|]

From Blizzardwatch

Activision Blizzard workers have demanded better working conditions for months, but there have been few concrete actions from management to remedy the company’s many problems — and allegations of new abuses just keep coming. Today, the ABK Workers Alliance has initiated a strike, including work stoppage. Although they haven’t clearly specified what the ultimate goal of that stoppage is, we know that their initial four demands still haven’t been fully met, and their calls for the removal of Bobby Kotick as Activision Blizzard CEO have gone unanswered.

The strike also includes a strike fund, so supporters demonstrate their solidarity with this cause and help support the workers who won’t be paid during the strike. It’s important to note that this strike comes two days after workers from another of Activision Blizzard’s teams, Raven Software, organized a walkout in response to the recent news of layoffs from a number of people from their QA team.

But this may be bigger than just another walkout: The Washington Post reports that workers are being asked to sign union authorization cards, which would authorize a union to negotiate on their behalf. While there’s been a lot of talk in the community about unionization, this would be the first serious step towards forming an actual union for Activision Blizzard workers who wish to partake in it. It won’t be smooth sailing for any potential union, though, as Activision Blizzard is already working with WilmerHale, a law firm that has helped big companies like Amazon and Uber block employee unionization efforts. It’s certain to be an uphill battle, but union authorization cards would be the first step.

This strike has been a long time coming, starting with the initial lawsuit filed by the state of California in July 2021 regarding sexual harassment and toxic workplace practices within the company, which was followed by an abhorrent initial response from the executives who have continued to downplay problems and their possible culpability. Five months later, and the company has made little progress. This is all aggravated by the fact that while concerns have unanswered and this new rounds of layoff happened, the company has celebrated good earnings and the board has spoken out in support of CEO Bobby Kotick. It’s only natural that, in an environment that is already ripe with toxicity and mistrust — one where the CEO himself is caught under fire for allegedly not only participating in but also encouraging this deplorable scenario — workers would see the need to take action.

This strike represents a new chapter to the tense situation that’s been playing out at Activision Blizzard this year, though it remains to be seen whether the company will take workers and their demands seriously. The entire community has watched legal problems pile up for Activision Blizzard, seen stock prices drop, and continued to hear new reports of egregious behavior on the part of the company and its executives. Even giants from both the gaming world and beyond have taken notice, indicating their desire to “reevaluate” their relationships with the company or releasing public statements chastising Activision Blizzard over the entire situation.

But Activision Blizzard has remained firm in its support of Bobby Kotick and the company’s top leadership despite pressure from its workers, its customers, and the world at large. We’ll have to see if a strike will have any more impact than the rest, and push Activision Blizzard to take serious action to stop abuse, harassment, and discrimination in its offices.

If you want to support ABetterABK in their efforts for building a better work environment within Activision Blizzard, you can follow their Twitter account for updates, and if you feel inclined to provide support to the workers during their strike, you can donate to their strike fund, which has already garnered $94,853 in donations as of this writing.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/abk-strike-fund

[Lochton]

From Blizzardwatch


https://www.gofundme.com/f/abk-strike-fund

First of all, wrong section.

Secondly, having Activision-Blizzard-King personnel striking hopefully will make people wake up. Not really feeling safe with GoFundMe posts in general, but I do hope they'll keep their spark in what they love while they fight for it, and not all just throw away their weapons once they have a small victory. One just hopes this small fight will be the right victory in the games and media industry - or at least finally some unions with the tools to support when in need.

[|Dexter|]

First of all, wrong section.

Secondly, having Activision-Blizzard-King personnel striking hopefully will make people wake up. Not really feeling safe with GoFundMe posts in general, but I do hope they'll keep their spark in what they love while they fight for it, and not all just throw away their weapons once they have a small victory. One just hopes this small fight will be the right victory in the games and media industry - or at least finally some unions with the tools to support when in need.

Sorry about the wrong section, it's Blizzard and WoW-related think it would fit here... this will lead to even more 9.2 delays for sure! And the GoFundMe is linked by the Blizzard employers accounts if you don't trust it...

[Lochton]

Sorry about the wrong section, it's Blizzard and WoW-related think it would fit here... this will lead to even more 9.2 delays for sure!

Don't worry. Normally a moderator would wake up and move it for you.

This section is commonly for World of Warcraft topics, but for sure, it'll sadly cost on the other end for both company, customers, and employees.

[hulkgor]

Good on them.

That said, i would take it a lot more seriously if the GoFundMe wasn't created by that specific person.

[tehBob]

Good on them.

That said, i would take it a lot more seriously if the GoFundMe wasn't created by that specific person.

I haven't been following too closely, why that person?

[Vellus]

Can't wait for that 2024 Overwatch 2 release!

[Lochton]

Good on them.

That said, i would take it a lot more seriously if the GoFundMe wasn't created by that specific person.

Honestly, not keen on it being some random politician instead of a united agreement from the ABK employees.

[hulkgor]

I haven't been following too closely, why that person?

There was a thread created a while back (https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...some-good-news) when she resigned from Blizzard, and with very weird accounts of some of her tweets and opinions, and some of them are unbelievable. A big one about her that i remember is "She uncovered creeps by pissing them off so much they outed themselves.", or taking a mental day off because someone had called her a name online, and stuff like that.

She might do a wonderful job with the gofundme, but a lot of what i read about her would make me think otherwise.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Good on them.

That said, i would take it a lot more seriously if the GoFundMe wasn't created by that specific person.

if you can't take it serious that one of the leaders is continuing to lead were you ever really going to?

[StillMcfuu]

That GFM is probably the biggest example of the idiom "a fool and his money" I've ever seen.

[hulkgor]

Honestly, not keen on it being some random politician instead of a united agreement from the ABK employees.

She's a ex-blizzard worker with very vocal twitter opinions and controversies. That said, i would agree that it would be better off from some sort of collective agreement or accountable entity.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

There was a thread created a while back (https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...some-good-news) when she resigned from Blizzard, and with very weird accounts of some of her tweets and opinions, and some of them are unbelievable. A big one about her that i remember is "She uncovered creeps by pissing them off so much they outed themselves.", or taking a mental day off because someone had called her a name online, and stuff like that.

She might do a wonderful job with the gofundme, but a lot of what i read about her would make me think otherwise.

To be clear The "uncovering creeps parts" was what other employee's said she did she didn't tweet that and she didn't take a mental heath day because she was called name's online she was being called names at work by other employee's in the public (to employees) work channels during business hours.

[Ausr]

That seems a little sketchy, not like I was going to donate in the first place.

[qwerty123456]

So someone quit because they couldn't keep fighting the "evil of blizzard" and are now shortly after are setting up a go fund me to support people who want to strike? Seems like she realized she couldn't get a new job that quickly.

Also wtf was the response of Ninespine in that other thread. Such a creep response to call her an attractive woman.

[Edge-]

So someone quit because they couldn't keep fighting the "evil of blizzard" and are now shortly after are setting up a go fund me to support people who want to strike? Seems like she realized she couldn't get a new job that quickly.

Considering she already announced that she's got a job lined up outside of gaming, not really - https://twitter.com/BlizzJess/status...14592189849613

It's weird how much everyone seems to hate her? Is it just because of her annoying creeps into outing themselves because internal Blizzard HR has been shown to be completely useless?

I swear, nobody is allowed to do anything without apparently having some secret, dishonest, nefarious motive or something.

[Kathranis]

Hope they successfully unionize, would be a massive first step in improving working conditions in the games industry.

However, I feel like collection of strike funds should go through an established nonprofit or something, not a former employee's gofundme.

[Edge-]

However, I feel like collection of strike funds should go through an established nonprofit or something, not a former employee's gofundme.

The point of the funds is offset lost wages from striking, so donating to a nonprofit won't accomplish that. There may be a better way to handle it (I'm not super familiar with GFM), but someone has to organize it and she's been one of the leaders of the workers protests and push to remove Kotick, even if she's no longer with the company.

Considering the A Better ABK workers collective is promoting this on their social channels, I don't see a reason to view this as shady. If they weren't involved with this or there were questions about what would be done with the money I doubt they'd be promoting it - https://twitter.com/ABetterABK/statu...43518248980486

[Triceron]

Can't help but say this David vs Goliath shit ain't gonna work out well for those employees.

You work to take down the big guy, not challenge them into ruling you nicely.

[Edge-]

Can't help but say this David vs Goliath shit ain't gonna work out well for those employees.

Welcome to the fight for workers rights since forever, it's always been this way. And like...David beat Goliath in the story : 3