Activision Blizzard allegedly spying on workers amid union drive

Activision Blizzard Inc (ATVI.O), a division of Activision Blizzard, was charged with violating federal labor laws on Friday as a result of its illegal surveillance of employees during a walkout and its threat to shut down internal chat channels as a union organized its employees.

‍

Despite Activision's efforts to settle, a spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board said that if the company fails to do so, the agency will file a complaint against Activision, which involves employees of Blizzard Entertainment Inc. headquartered in California and three other states.

‍

There have been allegations made by the Communications Workers of America union (CWA) that the publisher of Call of Duty has engaged in a series of illegal labor practices at the company. The CWA has sought to organize video game testers and employees of the company and its subsidiaries.

‍

As a protest against what they said was the company's lack of gender equality in the workplace, employees around the country staged a walkout last year in order to demonstrate their frustration.

‍

There was no doubt that the CWA claimed that Activision used security staff to monitor workers during the walkout, according to Kayla Blado, a spokeswoman for the labor board. She said that a regional agency official found the claim of Activision to be true.

‍

A separate claim that the company had also violated the law by threatening to close internal Slack channels where employees discussed working conditions frequently was also found to be valid, Blado stated.

‍

Activision's spokesperson issued a statement claiming that the company was in a position to prevent "toxic workplace behavior."

‍

"CWA wants us to accept their... bogus accusations, but we strongly believe employees shouldn't have to put up with insults and put-downs for their hard work - especially on business communication platforms," the spokesperson said.

‍

There is no doubt that Activision's conduct has shown a clear pattern of disrespect for employees' legal rights, according to a statement released by the CWA.

‍

"Activision Blizzard's anti-union campaign has not stopped workers from organizing, campaigning for better working conditions, and winning union campaigns despite the company's anti-union efforts," the union said.

‍

A separate complaint has been filed against Activision by the National Labor Relations Board last year alleging that the company has implemented a policy that restricts what workers can post on social media in order to prevent them from discussing their working conditions. A spokesperson for Activision has said the company's social media policy is legal and does not restrict employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law on the use of social media.

‍

Activision subsidiaries in New York and Wisconsin have voted in recent months to join the CWA with a small number of workers. Activision has said that it is considering all options available to it in such cases. Employees of the Activision unit Proletariat, based in Boston, withdrew a petition to have an election in January in favor of their union.

‍

Last year, Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), which makes Xbox games, announced an agreement to acquire Activision for $69 billion in a deal that has come under scrutiny from U.S. and European antitrust authorities.