The Communications Workers of America union has filed an NLRB complaint against Activision Blizzard over alleged violations of federal labor law.
Earlier this year, Activision Blizzard was sued by the State of California over allegations surrounding its workplace culture. That was complicated with further allegations from the state that claimed Blizzard HR had shredded important documents. Adding to the troubles is a separate class-action lawsuit filed by the company's shareholders, and now new troubles have reared their head due to a complaint from a union.
Why a Union Filed an NLRB Complaint Against Activision Blizzard
As Bloomberg reports, the Communications Workers of America filed the NLRB complaint due to allegations of violating federal labor law on several fronts. These allegations include the use of coercive rules, actions, and statements. Additionally, the complaint alleges that the company had illegally interrogated its staff.
The Communication Workers of America has spent the last year and change spearheading the "Campaign to Organize Digital Employees" (or "CODE") as a new project which aims to help video game and tech workers unionize.
The complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, an independent federal agency that protects the rights of employees and their ability to form a union. Once this complaint is received, it will be assessed by a regional office. If these complaints are worth further investigation, the NLRB's general counsel can prosecute the case in front of administrative law judges and have the potential to escalate to federal court.
Unfortunately, the agency does not have the capability to apply any sort of financial penalties on Activision Blizzard. It is empowered, however, to require the posting of notices within the company or a reversal of any illegal policies. Naturally, other government agencies (whether federal or state) may have the option to prosecute these claims more strongly.
