Activision Blizzard employees will take part in another walkout today, this time over concerns about employee safety in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, organized by a better abkActivision Blizzard’s internal employee rights advocacy group, Walkout will be in four of the publisher’s North American offices: California, Texas, Minnesota and New York, where a new QA worker union was just organized.
On July 6, A Better ABK announced the walkout, tweeting: “We are calling for the protection of several communities of marginalized workers.” “Employees are actively confronting state law that is putting women, LGBTQ+ employees and their families at risk, with other vulnerable groups on the horizon.”
In light of the Supreme Court’s decision Roe vs. WadeSeveral video game companies expressed support for their employees’ right to reproductive health care and independence. Bungie’s statement came as it outlined a plan to add travel reimbursement to its health care plans in case any workers or their dependents need to travel out of state for care.
Activision Blizzard has a similar travel reimbursement plan added in June, but A Better ABK thinks it insufficiently addresses the problem.
A Better ABK tweeted, “Currently offered $4,000 in reimbursement for out-of-state medical care, which leaves employees open to legal prosecution in their home state.” “Travel reimbursement does not remove workers from imminent danger. Our demands ensure that our workers have access to life-saving procedures such as abortion and trans-firming healthcare that are safe, affordable and legal.
In addition to demands related to employee health care, A Better ABK also listed additional demands in addition to urgent Roe vs. Wade An end to coercive arbitration, a clear and transparent dialogue with the Internal Committee Against Sex and Gender Discrimination group, and a legal commitment to neutrality for Activision Blizzard activists’ efforts to organize (such as Microsoft just agreed to) Are included.
in a statement to ledgeCommenting on the walkout, Activision Blizzard spokesman Rich George said:
,We support the right of our employees to express their views and values in a safe, responsible manner without fear of retaliation. There are a number of ways they can do this either publicly or privately. Our leadership team remains focused on making sure we are the best place to work. This includes ensuring gender equality across the company and ensuring broader access to reproductive and other health services for every employee.”
The company’s fifth walkout in the past 12 months coincides with the one-year anniversary of the California state lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for promoting an environment of sexual abuse and discrimination.