Activision is Being Charged by the CWA for Firing Two of Its Employees
The labor union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Activision Blizzard claiming that it illegally fired QA testers who protested against return-to-office policy work.
Activision Blizzard is facing an unfair labor practice charge from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) labor union, which claims that the company fired two QA testers for "engaging in protected, concerted, union activity."
As reported by Kotaku, the workers were terminated on February 17 for speaking out against Activision's demand for a partial return to in-person work, which the CWA believes is a breach of labor regulations.
The termination followed Activision's recent decision to force employees to return to the office, a requirement that has been met with opposition throughout the company's staff. According to the CWA, "numerous workers protested the [return to office] plan citing cost of living concerns and the impact it would have on their co-workers who might be forced out of their jobs."
The labor union also stated that the testers were fired after they "expressed their outrage using strong language" – this was followed by disciplinary meetings by management which culminated in the workers' dismissal.
The CWA noted that until 2020, the use of strong language and outbursts in such situations was protected by the National Labour Relations Board, however, the Trump administration altered the criteria for determining whether workers had been legitimately terminated or disciplined for making offensive comments, an act that the organization claims "ultimately limits free speech rights for employees."
The organization believes that the firings were made "in response to [the employee’s] engagement in protected, concerted and union activity" and claims that Activision "improperly denied a request to have a coworker witness the disciplinary meeting which preceded the termination of [their] employment."
Speaking to Kotaku, Activision spokesperson noted that the company doesn't "allow employees to use profane or abusive language against each other" and is "disappointed the CWA advocates this type of behavior."
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