Blizzard employees plan walkout after response to court ruling
Another walkout is taking place at Activision Blizzard’s HQ in Irvine, California later in the month of July.
Blizzard employees are staging a walkout in late July to protest Activision Blizzard’s response, or lack thereof, after the United States Supreme Court decided to overrule Roe v Wade.
On June 24, the constitutional right to abortion was removed when Roe v Wade was overturned by the nation’s Supreme Court justices, sending shockwaves through the gaming community and around the world. In response to the news, many gaming companies shared statements in support of women and people who can give birth, some even stating that they would help employees safely obtain reproductive healthcare. The gaming companies that were most outspoken include Microsoft, Bungie, Sega, and Bethesda. Activision Blizzard notably remained silent.
Another walkout planned at Activision Blizzard
In response to the company’s silence over the court decision, employees are staging a walkout organized by the ABK Workers Alliance. The announcement was made on Twitter, with the organization stating that the walkout was due to Blizzard’s “lack of action on the issue.”
“Our walk-out demands focus on the protections of ABK employees from external threats like the recent overturn of Roe V. Wade, and internal threats such as retaliation and harassment while in the workplace,” ABK Workers Alliance said.
According to ABK Workers Alliance, Blizzard offered $4,000 reimbursements for out-of-state medical care, but this leaves employees open to “legal prosecution” in their home state if they live in a state impacted by the Supreme Court’s controversial decision. It is said that Blizzard made no action to “remove workers from imminent danger.”
“Our demands ensure that our workers safely, affordably, and legally maintain access to live-saving procedures like abortions and trans-affirming healthcare,” ABK Workers Alliance tweeted.
ABK Workers Alliance alleged that employees attempted to bring up these issues with management in the past but that the concerns were ignored. Demonstrations have become a reliable way to get Blizzard to finally respond with a solution, according to ABK Workers Alliance.
There have been multiple walkouts at Blizzard, including the first in July 2021 due to the company’s response to a gender discrimination lawsuit. More walkouts have taken place since in an attempt to get Blizzard to remove problematic employees and produce solutions to ongoing harassment and discrimination issues alleged to occur at the company’s main offices. This latest walkout will be the fifth at the company.
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