Proletariat Unionization Vote Request Withdrawn

The Communication Workers of America said it is withdrawing its request for a unionization vote at Proletariat, choosing to follow Activision Blizzard’s lead on the matter, according to an official statement.

“Unfortunately, Proletariat CEO Seth Sivak said. “Like many founders, he took the workers’ concerns as a personal attack and held a series of meetings that demoralized and disempowered the group, making a free and fair election impossible.

“As we have seen at Microsoft’s Zenimax studio, there is another path forward, one that empowers workers through a free and fair process, without intimidation or manipulation by the employer. We will continue to advocate alongside workers in the video game industry for better working conditions, higher standards and a union voice.”

Activision Blizzard made the following statement, according to GamesIndustry.biz: “We appreciate that the CWA has unilaterally decided to withdraw its petition in response to employee feedback. As we’ve stated, we welcomed the opportunity for each employee to safely express their preferences through a confidential vote. Our team at Proletariat does extraordinary work every day. They remain focused on working with their teams to continue to make Proletariat a place where all can grow, thrive, and be part of an amazing team and culture.”

“That is totally false. The Proletariat CEO was responding to concerns from employees who felt pressured or intimidated by CWA and wanted more information about what joining a union could mean. He was defending his employees’ right to express their true preferences in a private vote, so they couldn’t be targeted for their perspectives – like he himself is being targeted by the CWA right now.”