Union busting staff message from Activision Blizzard released online Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Union busting staff message from Activision Blizzard released online The Cold War continues. News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Updated on 1 Feb 2022 28 comments An internal statement from Activision Blizzard on unionisation has been released online, seemingly persuading employees against the practice. From VP of QA Christian Arends, the message refers to employees' rights to discuss potential unionisation and answers some key questions. The message was shared online by former employee Jessica Gonzalez, one of the founding members of the ABetterABK employee group. "VP of QA at Activision just posted this shit in company slack LOL," she wrote. Arends begins by stressing that the company respects employees' rights to unionise. VP of QA at Activision just posted this shit in company slack LOL this was posted in a channel where you can't reply to threads. Sad… pic.twitter.com/oDmG4u9dfq- Jessica Gonzalez Tactical Jess inbound ? (@_TechJess) January 31, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings However, many of the answers he gives to questions relate to the negative impact of unionising for the company. "A union doesn't do anything to help us produce world-class games, and the bargaining process is not typically quick, often reduces flexibility, and can be adversarial and lead to negative publicity," he said. "All of this could hurt our ability to continue creating great games. While many union contracts include a 'just cause' provision and a grievance process, this is really just a different way to deal with disciplinary issues." On comparing bargaining with a union to a direct relationship with the company for individual employees, Arends explains that a direct relationship is quicker, whereas in a union it "often takes months or years to come to a collective bargaining agreement". "A unionised company cannot act quickly on its own if the union does not agree with its position," he said, noting "In both situations, the company remains free to disagree and maintain a different position." He also mentioned that employees don't have to vote for a union in an election if signed up, and encouraged employees to "perform [their] own research on the union". Although Arends is open to questions from employees, the message was posted in a Slack channel that doesn't allow for replies. Instead, employees reacted with an emote saying "fucking unionise" in the Blizzard font. Gonzalez's tweet was shared by the ABetterABK account, although it hasn't responded directly. Activision Blizzard employees began a bid to unionise back in December, with Raven Software employees pushing for unionisation despite Activision Blizzard failing to respond within the necessary deadline. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store