Activision Blizzard employees staged a country-wide walkout in early July 21st, 2022 following the landmark overturning of Roe Vs Wade. This latest walkout affected Blizzard locations within California, Minnesota, Texas, and New York, with options for employees to join remotely. According to the Washington Post, about 450 employees in-person and online joined in on this walkout. This had been the latest in the long line of events for Activision Blizzard this year, including the recent occurrence of Activision Blizzard employees unionizing.
A Better ABK, the organizers of the event, are no strangers to walkouts. Originating within the ABK Workers Alliance, an organization made up of former and current Blizzard employees, the worker advocacy group’s main purpose is to organize “walkouts and demonstrations against the company’s (Activision Blizzard) policy and practices.” Previously, the advocacy group set up a similar walkout following the California lawsuit following the sexual harassment allegations within Activision Blizzard.
This recent walkout demanded more action from the company regarding fighting gender inequity, protecting abortion services, and offering options for relocation and remote work for employees affected by discriminatory laws. They also demanded employees be “included in the audit/report requested by shareholders to make sure that our sexual harassment audit was conducted fairly and exhaustively.” Additionally, that leadership will “uphold regular meetings” with the Committee Against Sex and Gender Discrimination to “ensure an open dialogue between employees and management to foster a safer and more welcoming workplace.” Finally, the advocacy group demanded a labor-neutrality agreement to be for Activision Blizzard to sign, similar to Microsoft.
To view the full list of demands, visit A Better ABK’s official website.