Game Workers Unite Begin Petition To Fire Activision CEO
Despite the company’s 2018 efforts leading to “best in our history” earnings for the year, Activision Blizzard recently publicized their plans to lay off over 800 of their staff. The wide-reaching decision will leave hundreds of industry talents without work or an inkling about what to do next. To say these mass layoffs are questionable would be an understatement, but it appears Game Workers Unite is prompting to solve this problem with a simple answer: Fire Bobby Kotick.
According to a recent petition started by Game Workers Unite, the organization is calling upon Activision CEO Bobby Kotick to be let go from his high-ranking leadership position, citing the recent layoffs as clear reason for an ousting. Further arguing their cause, the petition references Kotick’s generously luxurious $30 million salary as well as recent actions such as granting a $15 million bonus to the company CFO shortly before layoffs were announced.
Upending 800 workers’ lives while raking in millions in bonuses for you and your c-suite buddies isn’t leadership, it’s theft.
We, the workers of Activision and their friends, have had enough. Join us in saying that it’s time to #FireBobbyKotick. ✊?✊?✊?
— Game Workers Unite ✊?✊?✊? GDC (@GameWorkers) February 13, 2019
If we divided Kotick’s obscene annual pay (one the highest paid CEOs in the world) it alone could pay full salaries for all 800 laid off workers. #FireBobbyKotick
— Game Workers Unite ✊?✊?✊? GDC (@GameWorkers) February 13, 2019
The petition is approaching 2,000 signatures at the time of writing, the number continuously growing as time goes on. Game Workers Unite capped off their passionate argument hoping to send a message directly toward Activision Blizzard and its decision-makers, saying ,”Please sign this petition in solidarity and send a message to Activision Blizzard’s c-suite that we won’t let their greed ruin the games we love and uproot the lives of workers anymore.”
This campaign comes by way of a partnership between Game Workers Unite and Coworker.org, a non-profit organization centered around support and advocacy for workers. This effort to fire Bobby Kotick is only the latest petition to come out of the site as Coworker has led numerous campaigns against unfair work practices. Whether or not success will result from this situation is not yet known, but those who’d like to visit the petition themselves can do so right here.
We are proud to partner with @teamcoworker to organize this campaign. Their many successful campaigns to improve the lives of workers are an inspiration.
— Game Workers Unite ✊?✊?✊? GDC (@GameWorkers) February 14, 2019
What do you think? Should Activision should fire Bobby Kotick? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
