Video games bring joy and excitement to people all over the world, but it's become all too clear that many members of the industry aren't treated well for their efforts. Game developers have been banding together in an effort to fight crunch, poor pay, and abuse, but it's not an easy process.
Following allegations against Activision Blizzard by employees and efforts to form a union of video game workers, Activision Blizzard hired a law firm known for its anti-union stance. Now new information coming from yet another law firm associated with the company shows what the law firm thinks of union employees.
The information is coming to light courtesy of Jessica Gonzalez, a Senior Quality Engineer who previously worked for Activision Blizzard. The Reed Smith law firm, which is representing Activision Blizzard in its National Labor Relations Board hearing, posted a slide that is infuriating members of the community all over social media. The slide was allegedly made as part of a presentation explaining ways that employers can avoid having their employees form or join unions, but the way in which said employees are referred to is anything but appropriate.
The slide indicates 'Types of Employees Unions Exploit,' listing them as 'Lazy, non-productive, or inefficient,' 'Rebels,' and as 'Complainers', among other things. The slide has since been pulled, but viewers took screenshots and archived them. Needless to say, those who have been striving to create or join a union inside or outside of Activision Blizzard haven't been taking the release of this slide well. Some seem furious at the claims, while others have humorously taken them in stride, and have been quick to make fun of the out-of-date terms that made the list.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that the community has felt dissuaded from attempting to join or form a union. While Activision Blizzard has been carefully wording its statements, emails and Slack messages sent by members of the company have left employees feeling angry or upset, with said messages containing warnings of potential consequences of organizing.
Video game designers both within and outside Activision Blizzard have been seeking to unionize largely due to the abuse they have reportedly been through. Activision Blizzard has been sued for alleged harassment and discrimination, and the investigation has drawn the attention of the state of California's Department of Fair Employment & Housing, which has accused Activision Blizzard of interfering with the investigation.
It's clear at this point in time that this situation is far from over, though it remains to be seen how it will end. While certainly not every video game developer or publisher has treated their employees poorly, the number of allegations and reports of abuse coming from the industry can't be ignored. It's easy to see why employees and contractors who are simply looking for fair pay and treatment in the game industry would be infuriated by these comments.
Source: Twitter