Unions Condemn Bobby Kotick’s Denials of Activision Blizzard Harassment Allegations
The Communique Workers Of The United States (CWA) has criticized beleaguered Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s assertions that the numerous allegations of harassment that supposedly took place during his leadership were “fabricated.”
“Bobby Kotick’s remarks on a podcast glorifying billionaires are not only disrespectful to the Activision employees who bravely spoke out against the harassment they encountered but also expected,” a CWA representative stated in an emailed response to RPS. “Fortunately for the employees, Kotick is no longer in charge, and thousands of them have formed unions with CWA free from coercion or interference, thus gaining a voice at their workplace.”
During a wide-ranging discussion on the Grit podcast, Kotick further referred to the petition demanding his resignation, signed by 1,300 employees, as “fake” and suggested that the CWA instigated the complaints after it “started examining technology” and “was losing members at a significantly alarming rate.”
In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, accusing the company of creating a culture of harassment and discrimination against women. Later that year, in November, The Wall Street Journal published a report that alleged Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard for an extended period.
In May 2023, Kotick attributed the company’s reputation issues not to a toxic workplace culture that led to numerous gender discrimination lawsuits from former employees and governmental agencies but rather to “external factors” and supporters of unionization. By December, he announced he would be stepping down after three decades.
“The assertions made by Bobby Kotick during the podcast about the ‘fake lawsuits’ are untrue,” a CWA representative told RPS in an emailed statement.
“In 2021, Activision agreed to an $18 million settlement with the EEOC following a lawsuit that alleged the company had sexually harassed and discriminated against its employees. Bobby Kotick himself issued an apology in his personal press release for the unacceptable behavior that occurred under his supervision.
“In addition to the settlement payout, Activision committed to providing anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training, increasing mental health counseling services for its staff, and delivering targeted relief for victims, as specified in the EEOC’s announcement on March 3, 2022,” the statement noted.
“Subsequently, in 2023, Activision secured a $54 million settlement with the California Civil Rights Department (previously known as the California State Department of Fair Employment and Housing, as Kotick mentions in the podcast) for workplace discrimination against women and for pay disparities.”
“The suffering, inequality, and mistreatment that our colleagues and former co-workers have experienced is real.”