Activision Blizzard Workers of ABK Raised Over $300k For Active Strikers
ABK Workers Alliance is continuing its campaign to end abuse in the gaming industry. And it’s receiving plenty of crowdfunding support.
ABetterABK, or ABK Workers Alliance, continues its campaign for workers’ rights and representation. The group aims to bring an end to abuse in the gaming industry. Its focus? Activision Blizzard King (ABK).
Today, the ABK Worker’s Alliance announces the initiation of its strike. We encourage our peers in the Game Industry to stand with us in creating lasting change. For those who wish to join in solidarity, please consider donating to our Strike Fund.https://t.co/IauGyxuLYG
— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) December 9, 2021
Why is A Better ABK Going on Strike?
A Better ABK is currently organizing an active strike. This was in direct response to Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, letting go of 12 quality-assurance contractors.
These contractors represented nearly a third of the QA team. All those that were let go were done so “in good standing”. None of them had underperformed or committed a fireable offense.
ABK’s Strike Guide, courtesy of their Twitter account
Some were even top performers and team leads. Contractors were told they were dismissed because of “department restructuring”.
A Better ABK is demanding that ABK and Raven “hire [as full-time employees] all members of Raven QA who frequently are kept on contract for years on end.”
Support for Strikers
Activision Blizzard management has claimed they will continue to pay striking workers through Wednesday. So a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to provide wages to the striking employees.
While we are still committed to the four demands we made of leadership at the beginning of the A Better ABK movement, and while we are working towards unionization, the focus of this strike is solely our mistreated colleagues at Raven QA.
— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) December 10, 2021
The campaign has surpassed $300,000 raised in just 3 days. It’s reached a third of its $1 Million goal.
Changes in the Video Game Industry
A Better ABK has gone on strike before. Previous employee walkouts centered on the lack of executive response to harassment and gender discrimination reports.
This also comes on the heels of a similar story directed towards Ubisoft. This situation only highlights the widespread nature of the problem.
