MN Video Game Workers to Rally for Health Accommodations
Date: Friday, October 25th 2024
Time: 12 Noon-1:00pm
Time: 12 Noon-1:00pm
Location: 7699 Anagram Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
This Friday employees at the Activision quality assurance department in Eden Prairie MN will rally for the right to Work-from-Home accommodations. Since January of this year Activision and its new parent-company, Microsoft, have enforced a strict Return-to-Office policy despite more than two years of successfully working from home entirely or in hybrid with in-office
The employees, who work on the famous Call of Duty games, (including the brand new Black Ops 6 Campaign), are particularly outraged that Activision is even refusing work-from-home accommodations for workers with ADA-certified medical conditions. Many Activision workers believe that the company is refusing accommodations as a way to force them to quit, "a layoff wolf in return-to-office sheep’s clothing", as Fortune magazine described similar policies at other corporations. https://fortune.com/2023/06/15/at-t-office-mandates-disguised-layoffs/
Despite multiple requests from the Union representing the video-game workers, Activision and Microsoft have been unable to articulate why specifically they are insisting workers must work in the office - even those with serious medical conditions and doctor's recommendations to work from home.
The workers aren't waiting however. Earlier this month over 300 Activision employees signed a petition demanding the return of work-from-home options, and workers in Texas and California will support their colleagues by rallying on Friday at their own offices. This past March, workers at Activision's quality assurance division voted overwhelmingly to join the Communications Workers of America union, forming one of the largest video game workers unions in the world. https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/quality-assurance-workers-activision-establish-largest-certified-union-us-video-game
Media Contacts:
Allen Junge,CWA 7250 Steward, Activision employee 507-993-4065
Andrew Snell, CWA 7250 Steward, Activision employee 612-309-7053
Kara Fanon, CWA 7250 Steward, Activision employee 301-404-1780