{"id":309756,"date":"2021-07-28T02:01:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T23:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/thousands-of-amazon-blizzard-employees-are-planning-to-strike\/"},"modified":"2021-07-28T02:01:54","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T23:01:54","slug":"thousands-of-amazon-blizzard-employees-are-planning-to-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/thousands-of-amazon-blizzard-employees-are-planning-to-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"#Thousands of Amazon Blizzard employees are planning to strike"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3fa88b2efe1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3fa88b2efe1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/thousands-of-amazon-blizzard-employees-are-planning-to-strike\/#So_heres_the_thing\" >So, here\u2019s the thing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Thousands of Amazon Blizzard employees are planning to strike<\/strong>&#8221;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2021%2F07%2Factivisionblizzard.jpg&amp;signature=f6d1429333a8f585b9a4458d3a185167\" \/><\/p>\n<div>The strike is on. Bloomberg\u2019s Jason Schreier <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-07-27\/blizzard-employees-call-for-strike-after-discrimination-lawsuit\">today reported<\/a> that Activision-Blizzard employees are planning a work stoppage for Wednesday, 28 July, in protest of the company\u2019s response to a recent lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>On 22 July, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed suit against the Santa Monica-based company.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/embed\/iframe\/xo23fcyip6?videoFoam=true&amp;autoPlay=true\" title=\"Whats it like to be a startup founder in Barcelona? Video\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wistia_embed\" name=\"wistia_embed\" allowfullscreen=\"\" msallowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The department investigated the company and determined it fostered a \u201cfrat boy\u201d culture, paid women less, hired women less, and worked to keep its leadership exclusively white and male.<\/p>\n<p>Per <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/aboutblaw.com\/YJw\">the affidavit<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Defendants have also fostered a pervasive \u201cfrat boy\u201d workplace culture continues to thrive. In the office, women are subjected \u201ccube crawls\u201d in which male employees drink copious amount of alcohol as they \u201ccrawl\u201d their way through various cubicles in the office and often engage in in<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate behavior towards female employees.<\/p>\n<p>Male employees proudly come into work hungover, play video <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s for long periods of time during work while delegating their responsibilities to female employees, engage in banter about their sexual encounters, talk openly about female bodies, and joke about rape.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The affidavit specifically mentions one female employee who took her own life during a business <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> \u201cwith a male supervisor who had brought butt plugs and lubricant with him on the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_heres_the_thing\"><\/span>So, here\u2019s the thing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of blood in the water right now. Once tomorrow\u2019s strike kicks off it\u2019ll be difficult for anyone to control the narrative. And that makes right now the best time to explain what\u2019s actually happening.<\/p>\n<p>First off, the employees aren\u2019t just staging a protest over the fact that the harassment occurred. If everyone who worked for a company with a shitty, misogynistic work culture striked everyday, the world would come to a screeching halt.<\/p>\n<p>No, per the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/over-1-000-activision-blizzard-employees-sign-letter-co-1847364340?curator=MediaREDEF\">employee letter<\/a> that\u2019s now been signed by nearly a quarter of all Activision-Blizzard employees, they\u2019re striking over the company\u2019s <i>response to the lawsuit.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>The lawsuit alleges more than just sexual harassment. It also contains salary details for the top male and female executives and describes the average pay for all employees. And these figures clearly demonstrate that Activision-Blizzard intentionally pays women less than men.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Unless the state of California has incorrect salary information (which would likely indicate the company\u2019s not been honest with its tax disclosures), it\u2019s apparent that the state\u2019s report contains at least a modicum of evidence to support its allegations against the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The employees planning to strike are angry because the company responded to the lawsuit by claiming it was frivolous, unfounded, and full of misinformation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Basically, the company is denying what thousands of employees and a panel of state investigators claim to be true. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If the allegations are true, the people who work for the company would be justified in believing it owes it to them to address the allegations directly and engage in good-faith efforts to fix the problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Unfortunately for everyone, lawyers and public relations teams aren\u2019t as interested in doing what\u2019s morally right as they are in practicing effective damage control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Activision-Blizzard posted over $8 billion in profits last year. All it has to do in order to move past this little kerfuffle is wait a few weeks and pay a team of crack lawyers to deny, defend, and delay until the lawsuit either goes away or results in a paltry fine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Because, realistically, the next installment of <\/span><i>Call of Duty<\/i><span> will recoup those expenses in sales within the first 24 hours \u2013 if not during the pre-order phase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Arguably, the only people who can actually hold the company\u2019s leaders accountable are its current employees. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>And to that, we say godspeed.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the Activision Blizzard employee letter in its entirety:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>To the Leaders of Activision Blizzard,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We, the undersigned, agree that the statements from Activision Blizzard, Inc. and their legal counsel regarding the DFEH lawsuit, as well as the subsequent internal statement from Frances Townsend, are abhorrent and insulting to all that we believe our company should stand for. To put it clearly and unequivocally, our values as employees are not accurately reflected in the words and actions of our leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We believe these statements have damaged our ongoing quest for equality inside and outside of our industry. Categorizing the claims that have been made as \u201cdistorted, and in many cases false\u201d creates a company atmosphere that disbelieves victims. It also casts doubt on our organizations\u2019 ability to hold abusers accountable for their actions and foster a safe environment for victims to come forward in the future. These statements make it clear that our leadership is not putting our values first. Im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te corrections are needed from the highest level of our organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Our company executives have claimed that actions will be taken to protect us, but in the face of legal action \u2014 and the troubling official responses that followed \u2014 we no longer trust that our leaders will place employee safety above their own interests. To claim this is a \u201ctruly meritless and irresponsible lawsuit,\u201d while seeing so many current and former employees speak out about their own experiences regarding harassment and abuse, is simply unacceptable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We call for official statements that recognize the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault. We call on Frances Townsend to stand by her word to step down as Executive Sponsor of the ABK Employee Women\u2019s Network as a result of the damaging nature of her statement. We call on the executive leadership team to work with us on new and meaningful efforts that ensure employees \u2014 as well as our community \u2014 have a safe place to speak out and come forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We stand with all our friends, teammates, and colleagues, as well as the members of our dedicated community, who have experienced mistreatment or harassment of any kind. We will not be silenced, we will not stand aside, and we will not give up until the company we love is a workplace we can all feel proud to be a part of again. We will be the change.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/why-thousands-activision-blizzard-employees-planning-strike\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Thousands of Amazon Blizzard employees are planning to strike&#8221; The strike is on. Bloomberg\u2019s Jason Schreier today reported that Activision-Blizzard employees are planning a work stoppage for Wednesday, 28 July, in protest of the company\u2019s response to a recent lawsuit. On 22 July, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed suit against the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/07\/activisionblizzard.jpg&signature=7b9c206cea3fc73c943b3b596e2b51d7","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-309756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309756\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}