- Activision exec Brian Bulatao emailed staff warning them of the “consequences” of signing union cards. Safe to say the industry is scared.
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"...your ability to negotiate all your own working conditions will be turned over to CWA..."
As opposed to what? The inability of game developers to negotiate their working conditions at all?
ID: ho0yveoID: ho10elgTruest true that ever trued.
ID: ho15mtathey try to make it seem like the employee will not be about to communicate with CWA about what they want, like “oh it’s all in CWAs hands once you sign with them”, not really, it’s like saying “don’t get your own lawyer for this case cuz they will represent you!” duh?
ID: ho1sku5This. They're counting on them not communicating with the union leaders, not revealing UL's communicate all the fucking time, cause that's their job.
Friends are electricians, their rep emails them every Friday to see how things are going.
AND IT'S NOT JUST PAY. They ask them about everything, one of em is super hot. First week, got a sexist comment about being on her knees, he was immediately kicked off site. I have a feeling ActivBlizzard would not be thrilled by this concept.
ID: ho15wvfWhat they’re referring to is salary mostly. And what they’re saying is true. Don’t get my wrong, I’m pro-union and I’m a unionized employee myself. But if there one thing about unions that pisses me off, it’s that unionized employees don’t get rewarded for individual effort. I work really hard at my job, hardly ever take sick days, and the guy next to my who plays games at his desk 80% of the day and calls in 3-4 times a month makes the same salary as me and gets raises at the same time I do. It’s a frustrating part of it. That being said, the security of belonging to a union is awesome and I definitely would rather be unionized than not.
ID: ho1e4jtYou should probably work a little less hard and maybe take some days for yourself, then. No one asked you to be the work martyr.
ID: ho18js7You do realize that for most people not in a union the problem is they work much harder than the people playing games and never miss work and they aren't rewarded with a salary increase. They are given more work and no extra incentive.
I'd much rather have unions than be taken advantage of by awful employers.
ID: ho1eb9eYou could also just do the same thing.
ID: ho1ji6zIt sounds like that's a problem with your employer, and not the union. The employer ultimately controls your wages and benefits, and they ought to pay you for whatever labor you put in. You shouldn't have to come crawling to them, asking for more. We have to get rid of this idea that jobs are something employers bestow upon us, and realize that workers hold the power. Without our labor, employers cannot exist.
ID: ho1rth5Pretty sure the idea of "Hard Work = Greater Rewards" is one of those things that's been drilled into our heads for sixty years in order to raise multiple generations of workers who can be manipulated into working harder on their own accord to work towards something that was never actually promised. Everyone heard about those glorious tales of poor and dumb folk who just kept trucking and became the CEO of some multimillion dollar corporation, because no one is going to tell the much more common tale of the poor and dumb folk who keep on trucking and eventually get an extra $2 to their paycheck after ten years if menial labor.
And when your hard work doesn't pay off, you might think someone else worked harder, you didn't work hard enough, or you were simply cheated from your just reward. But the truth is that working harder was never going to garuantee you anything more than what you would have gotten if you were perfectly average.
ID: ho1i1zyNever do more than the bare minimum needed to keep the boss happy unless you actually want to do more. If you do, ask for a raise. If they don’t give it to you, threaten leaving but be ready to leave.
ID: ho1wl11"Fuck everyone else, I'm awesome and I deserve being paid more than you losers" - You.
ID: ho1bhm6I have to admit, I don't understand game developers.
Those of us in business software make more money, work fewer hours, and have better conditions. Is my job really so boring that you'd rather work twice the hours for 1/2 the pay?
ID: ho1iyloI have a degree in game development and I gotta tell you, it's not really about comfort. It's a labor of love. You want to have a hand in creating a piece of art. Of course, not all game development cycles go that way, but no one would be doing it if they didn't get something out of it.
ID: ho1proaThat is like asking a chainsaw carver why he doesn't become a framing carpenter. Sure they both build stuff with wood but one is an artist and the other is not.
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God I hope they unionize.
ID: ho13befMe too
ID: ho1tnqdAustralia here. Heavily unionised industries. Union is the only way. Source: am lollipop lady (traffic control) making 150k a year. Rdo's. 9.5% superannuation (401k)? 5k per year redundancy payment. 4 - 5% increase per year. A plethora of other entitlements. Too many to remember.
These numbers are duplicated across many sectors. As long as workers are membere.
Union will negotiate a fair pay systems. They dont just rip the employer. They assess what the industry and employer can FAIRLY afford to pay staff for the staff actually making them that money.
Also get rid of the tipping system. Its dumb as fuck. People can still tip as we do in australia. But just get paid correctly.
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When you put in bold what the employees are allowed to do it screams:
I am legally required to say this, but I really don't mean it.
ID: ho1omp6insert legal text here vibes
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We need stricter laws about unionizing. On paper companies aren’t supposed to be able to discourage or threaten their workers, but in real like if we get this and the Amazon warehouse in Alabama that didn’t get to unionize
ID: ho1eu3wAdding more laws isn't going to fix an already broken system with little to no enforcement or oversight to begin with. What we need, is straight up labor reform, plain and simple, anything less than that will do nothing but further perpetuate the current f*cked up state we're already in.
The sinple fact is, there wouldn't be a need for unions outside of the independent labor force if there were PROPER and MODERN labor standards and enforcement. Not that anyone over in Boomerton D.C. gets that.
ID: ho1m6zdI think they get that just fine and are riding off the old laws because those are profitable for them.
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Lmfao, like the devs have the ability to “negotiate working conditions” at all right now... what a fucking joke
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I’ve heard it’s pretty common for employers to do this and dissuade their workers from unionizing. I hope the employees don’t fall for this weak shit and vote to unionize.
ID: ho1s9znThere are entire companies dedicated to Union busting
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Hes not wrong to be honest. BUT he uses his words very well and makes it sound like you can pick up the phone and 'negotiate' your wages and/or terms of employment when ever you want. Any employee who is not employed by his father knows that that is not the case, ever.
Best of look to you all, its a tough situation and a big decision. Listen to your your heart and dont make the decision based on short term gain, look at the history of the industry and where it is now vs where it is heading.
Nobody asked but imo this reads as a very well thought out and written plea to employees to not accept that union. Why? So that they cant still have their power structure, so they dont have to face the music when something bad happens(recent and not so recent revelations for eg), so they can have an internal HR system that will continue to sweep under the rug while they damage control and disappear issues. Unions can be awful for even the best of employers but something pokes my soul and tells me this is very very very much needed, and perhaps not just here.
ID: ho1uupdmakes it sound like you can pick up the phone and 'negotiate' your wages and/or terms of employment when ever you want.
You can. It just might make your employment come to a premature end.
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I mean they tried to bargain with their employers and let’s be honest. One person walking into their bosses office who has to do nothing for you because you’re so easily replaced. Those negotiations always end in favour of the employee… /s
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Well, we know Activision are genuinely scared of unions. The fact is, if they treated their workers properly, they'd be able to get away with demonising unions.
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Faceless mega corporations talking about wanting “active, transparent dialogue” is fucking hilarious. The only transparent dialogue they want is boss being able to threaten termination if they don’t get their way because corporate only sees you as replaceable number on a spread sheet.
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Employers always want endless time to "make the changes we've previously pledged to make".
It's "baby, I can change" abuser tactics writ large and at some point the benefit of the doubt wears out. They're reaping what they've sown.
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UNIONIZE BABY!
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I said this on the anitwork subreddit screw this guy. This is the biggest pile of crap. This company had had literal MONTHS to fix things and they are moving slower then my dead grandpa in a race right now. Screw Activision leadership, SIGN THOSE UNION CARDS! Get your rights back and give a middle finger to Bobby!
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This is true. It’s also why I avoid working for union companies. I’ve always managed to be promoted and get raises way above everyone else I work with. I’d never let myself get e weighed down by the random lazy guy. Unions are great for certain industries and professions. Like dangerous ones (electricians). And business type companies however, those unions are just detriments.
ID: ho1ocmcwack
ID: ho1of83How are unions great for certain professions, like electricians, but not great for this industry?
ID: ho1q43nIt could be in part a difference in the relative levels of skill involved.
You have to admit that everyone can draw a face, but very few people can do van Gogh levels of painting. On the other end of the scale, digging post holes or stocking shelves is probably something that huge numbers of people would be trivially qualified at. The latter benefits from a union more than the former.
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So is this supposed to be a threat or encouragement? 😛
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Fuck Activision.
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Can’t wait till they start to weaponize the toxic parts of the fan base. Just make vague allusions to a major update getting delayed due to work stoppage and the Execs will have a legion of Pinkertons ready to harass employees who are organizing.
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Always join unions. Employers do not care about your rights
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Activision is the worst I hope they get shuttered
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Ya right because they did such a great job with working conditions already /s I wonder how all those women felt about their ability to negotiate their working environment.
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"We are confident that we will make the progress we've previously pledged to make."
You know what would be a really good way to ensure that? If you were, say, and I'm just throwing out ideas, to write those pledges down in a binding agreement like, for example, and I'm just spitballing here, a union contract.
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"Listen ok fine if you don't sign union cards we PROMISE to stop trying to look up your skirts. Like, we'll try really hard not to."
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that smells guilty af
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I don’t know how it works in the USA but in the UK joining a Workers Union does not mean giving up your rights, you can even join multiple unions if you want to and you can also hire your own solicitors to fight for you while also being a Union Member…
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Reply all with “to whom should we reach out to individually negotiate our own working conditions?”
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Basically saying without saying "the union will screw you over worse than we will"
There are instances of unions becoming corrupt, but that coming from Activision, this is clearly just a scare tactic.
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"The leadership supports your rights, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut there will be consequences"
Fuck activision.
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No one wants developers treated fairly more than me. Honestly it is crap the way they make a billion dollar product just to be let go after. That said, please understand that unions can also destroy within industries. You might have heard of a little town called Detroit where unions priced their labor right out of the country. Please leverage collective bargaining. Please understand massive greed on either side has consequences.
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The industry as it has become is doomed as is. At some point players are going to get tired of the BS and stop paying for the unfinished cut up junk they're passing off as a video game. Sure it all looks good on paper now, but the last industry crash came fast as well. Everything was fine, studios were making money hand over fist, and then it all came crashing down. Which would be good it's time for this generation of major publishers and studios to be taken out behind the woodshed and put down. There's no hope left for them they've given in to the devils on Wall Street.
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You know, if you didn't continually shit on your employees, and constantly reiterate the fact that in your mind the workforce is just another commodity to be exploited, maybe they wouldn't be looking to the union for more negotiating leverage.
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Do people seriously trust unions any more than corps?
They’re all greedy bastards
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I'm a member of a union in the entertainment industry, if we're unionized, gaming should unionized too. It's just another form of entertainment.
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That's illegal to do lol How could he be that stupid?
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Wait, are you trying to say that this corporation isn't looking out for the welfare of their employees, but only their bottom line?
I'm sure they have only our best interest at heart.
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What would Brian Bulatao if he were he right now?
He'd probably bust a union too, that's what Brian Bulatao'd do
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Unions are a scam anyways for the most part
引用元:https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/rdguww/activision_exec_brian_bulatao_emailed_staff/
It’s almost as if that’s the entire fucking point.