Workers at Proletariat form union, CWA pulls back due to management interference.
Workers at Proletariat, a video game studio owned by Activision Blizzard, recently attempted to form a union. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) was pushing for a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election to force recognition of the union, but has since pulled back due to alleged confrontational tactics by Proletariat CEO Seth Sivak. The CWA claims that Sivak’s actions have made a free and fair election impossible.
Activision Blizzard has not voluntarily recognized the union, and the CWA has not filed any unfair labor practice complaints with the NLRB. QA testers at Activision Blizzard studios Raven Software and Blizzard Albany have both previously won NLRB elections to become the first fully recognized unions in the US game industry.
Proletariat is pushing for a union that represents all non-management employees, which has led to reports of internal strife over the speed and breadth of the union-organizing effort. Activision Blizzard has stated that they want to ensure that all employees can make their voices heard, and that they are focused on making Proletariat a place where all can grow, thrive, and be part of an amazing team and culture.
The US game industry is slowly becoming more unionized, with Proletariat’s union-organizing effort being the latest example. It remains to be seen whether the CWA and Proletariat workers will be able to come to an agreement that allows for a free and fair election.
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