NLRB to File Complaint Against Activision Blizzard in Illegal Surveillance Case

ign.com:

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has concluded its investigation of a case the Communication Workers of America filed against Activision Blizzard, opting to file a complaint with charges alleging the company illegally surveilled employees and violated labor laws by threatening to shut down company communication channels. However, the NLRB also dismissed a charge that the company violated Section 7 laws by shutting down a chat channel during an all-hands meeting last summer.

The charge of surveillance goes back to July 21, 2022 when employees staged a walkout in protest of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, demanding protections from a growing strain of anti-abortion laws in the US, as well as labor-neutrality commitment from Activision Blizzard amid growing unionization efforts and repeated reports of company union busting. The CWA alleges in its filing that Activision Blizzard illegally surveiled employees "through managers and security" while they were engaged in protected labor activities.

The second charge moving forward relates to alleged threats that Activision Blizzard threatened to cut off access to certain internal communication channels "because employees are discussing wages, hours, and working conditions."

Meanwhile, the dismissed charge is related to an all-hands meeting "where employees were discussing wages, hours and working condition," with the CWA alleging that Blizzard violated Section 7 rights protecting employee organizing efforts by cutting off access.

The news was shared with employees today in a Slack message from Activision Blizzard chief administrative officer Brian Bulatao, where he claims that chat for future all-hands meetings was disabled following feedback that the chat in one particular