NLRB says Activision Blizzard illegally surveilled employees during a walkout

Engadget writes: "This particular case pertains to the CWA’s accusations that the game developer illegally surveilled workers when they walked out in July last year to protest the lack of gender equality in the company, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as well as Activision Blizzard’s alleged union-busting practices."

[Jin_Sakai]

Is anyone surprised? It’s Activision we’re talking about here.

[closed_account]

Should hang "Bobby Kotick is Watching You Pee!" signs in all of the employee bathrooms.

[1Victor]

@Jin
I’m surprised this didn’t showed up sooner all corporations does this in one form or another by saying this I’m not defending this practice of employers

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Activision just getting lower and lower.

[Godmars290]

All bets on whether they change, including Bobby leaving, if the sale goes through are on.

[Profchaos]

The only way kotick leaves is with a golden parachute that's unfortunately how C level works no real punishment and large rewards

[CobraKai]

This is why he wants the sale to go through so badly. He’ll have his golden parachute and retirement secured. No justice will be served.

[Godmars290]

@CobraKai:
I mean he'll stay on if not given Phil's job.

[XxINFERNUSxX]

People need to just stop supporting them. They are actually giving fuel to the fire keeping this company alive, which clearly do not care about their employees or people at all. Those who spend money on their games should think twice.

[anast]

Diablo 4 is going to sell millions.

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

Gamers never gave a crap anyway.

[anast]

Exactly. Gamers giving a crap is actually more about venting personal frustrations than it is about actual change.

[Hofstaderman]

Probably have cameras in their toilets too…

[Huckman]

Not shocked there.

[gold_drake]

not surprised at all

[aaronaton]

If you're a boss, it's good to see who the snakes and weasels are for future reference.

[Eonjay]

No... its just creepy and illegal.

[aaronaton]

You don't have to film them, you can just look out of the window and make mental notes. At the end of the day, if you don't like the company and its culture, you can leave, they weren't being forced to work there.

[sadraiden]

Said the guy who isn't boss of shit.

Where'd you go to B school? Oceania?

[aaronaton]

Correct, i'm not a boss of shit.

[CobraKai]

The workers were under surveillance while engaged in a protected labor activity. Activision supposedly used managers and security to watch the employees. That’s a no no. If they were working a normal day, yes managers can observe and monitor workers, but not during a strike or walkout. Nor can they cut comms used for organizing.

And yeah, I actually was a boss.

[XxINFERNUSxX]

What's even more disgusting is that so many still support this piece of shit company. So many people will buy Diablo IV once it's done. It should be a total opposite and no one should give Blizzard money period.

[DarXyde]

People are painfully unprincipled or unaware.

But are they really at fault here? They develop and publish games. Platform holders have responsibility here too. You see how Cyberpunk got pulled from digital marketplaces because the quality was unacceptable? How much soul selling do you have to do to be okay with keeping ABK as a partner?

[hotnickles]

I don’t understand how this company functions at all let alone being worth 60 billion dollars. It’s like barely competent people are reskinning the same thing over and over. Top down, everything from the board and management to the weirdo workers sounds like a nightmare. Why would MS do that to themselves lol.

[sadraiden]

CoD. CoD is why it's worth that much. CoD represents a year over year influx of billions of dollars for the company. CoD is the reason why any of them still have jobs. Not enough people play WoW or are shelling out real world dollars for Hearthstone packs to keep Blizz profitable.

[hotnickles]

Right but how do they manage to release a COD every year is what I mean lol. Is it like EA and madden where they change one thing and sell it at full price? How do these idiots keep breaking records? I haven’t played cod in years so I don’t know.

[DarXyde]

Because I need to ask again, will the acquisition result in accountability? If so, I have no objections to the deal because I think that has far more positive implications for the culture of the industry. Imagine Bobby Kottick being taken down. That would be huge and incite pure fear in the underbelly of the industry.

Will it absolve any of the higher-ups of responsibility? If so, kill this deal with fire.

There is no shortage of vermin in powerful positions, and they often look after their own... But can we please do something to restore even a modicum of faith in justice to the public?

[sadraiden]

In my experience, if the company makes money, then everything is perfect. If the company loses even 1 red cent, gut it.

If Xbox has no incentive to change the corporate structure at AB, they won't. Public backlash to the sexual harassment accusations and now this pales in comparison to the buying power of hoards of screaming 14 year olds with delusions of being esports stars.

[Thundercat77]

will the acquisition result in accountability?

Of course not. Totally the contrary. The acquisition is Bobby's way to clean everything for him. If the acquisition is approved, he will be free of everything. Why do you think Bobby is so anxious about it?

The acquisition is his ticket to freedom.