Ajit Karn
A union has accused Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard of unlawfully dismissing two video game testers for using “strong language” in protest of a new company policy that restricts remote work.
Tuesday, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) lodged a complaint with the US National Labor Relations Board seeking reinstatement of the employees.
The case is the most recent one presented to the labour board by the union as part of its campaign to unionise the company and its subsidiaries. Last year, small game tester groups at three Activision subsidiaries voted to join the CWA.
Microsoft seeks to acquire Activision for $69 billion (approximately Rs. 5,68,500 crore), but US regulators have filed a lawsuit to obstruct the transaction.
Last year, the labour board issued complaints accusing Santa Monica, California-based Activision of threatening employees who posted about their working conditions on social media and withholding raises from pro-union employees. The company denies the allegations.
Activision’s representative, Joseph Christinat, stated that the company takes appropriate disciplinary action against employees who violate its code of conduct.
“Using abusive, menacing, or harassing language towards coworkers is abhorrent, and we are dismayed that the CWA promotes such conduct,” he said.
According to the union, Activision announced last month that its employees will be required to report to the office three days per week beginning in April, putting an end to a policy that permitted more flexible arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the CWA, employees reacted negatively to the change overwhelmingly, and Activision dismissed two game testers who “expressed their indignation using strong language.”
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The CWA suggested that the Democratic-led labour board could use the case to reconsider a 2020 ruling by the Republican majority that limited legal protections for employees who use profane or objectionable language during workplace disputes.
“When confronted with unjust treatment by unscrupulous employers like Activision, workers should have the right to speak out,” said CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens.
