In early 2024, Activision Blizzard, now under Microsoft's ownership, sent an email to employees at its Stockholm office announcing the end of a popular company benefit, inadvertently sparking a union effort. Over one hundred employees at King's Stockholm location, a mobile game maker owned by Activision Blizzard, formed a union club with Unionen, Sweden's largest trade union, last fall. This group has been recognized and is now in dialogue with company management, aiming to secure a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to govern their work environment, policies, and benefits.
In Sweden, unions differ from those in the U.S. as eligible workers can join a trade union at any time, regardless of their company's organization status. About 70% of Swedes are involved in a trade union, and the country has laws that are more favorable to unions. Trade unions negotiate with their sectors on working conditions like salaries and sick leave, and individual membership can offer additional benefits.
However, forming a union club and securing a CBA at the company level adds another layer to union membership in Sweden. If enough employees at a company join the same union, they can vote to establish a union board to negotiate a CBA, which can secure workplace-specific benefits and representation in company decisions. This is what has occurred at King Stockholm, following a trend seen at other Swedish gaming companies like Paradox Interactive and Avalanche Studios.
Kajsa Sima Falck, an engineering manager at King in Stockholm and a board member of King Stockholm’s Unionen chapter, shared that union discussions were previously quiet within the company. There was a Slack channel for union members, but it was largely inactive, with only around nine or ten members.
However, the situation changed in early January 2024 when employees received an email from management announcing the end of a significant benefit: a free, private doctor for themselves and their families, which had been introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This doctor, reportedly chosen by then-CEO Bobby Kotick, was highly valued by the staff for her responsiveness, support during the pandemic, and empathy towards employees’ health needs.
The sudden removal of this benefit, announced shortly after Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and with only a week's notice, left employees scrambling for new healthcare options. The offered replacement, private health insurance, was seen as inferior, requiring employees to navigate a portal and speak to a nurse for appointments, lacking the personal touch of the previous arrangement.
The announcement led to widespread discussion among employees, with many voicing their concerns on the company's general Slack channel. Falck noted the lack of bargaining power without a CBA, which prompted renewed interest in the union Slack channel, swelling its membership to 217. By October 2024, the group officially voted to form a union club with a union board at King Stockholm.
Since its formation, the King union has engaged with Activision Blizzard HR to establish communication protocols. Falck describes the company's response as "neutral," aligning with Sweden's legal protections for unions and Microsoft's public commitment to a neutral approach toward unions.
While the private doctor benefit cannot be reinstated, Falck and her colleagues aim to secure a CBA to protect other valued benefits and influence future changes. Key issues include salary transparency, information sharing, and protections during company reorganizations and layoffs. The overarching goal is to enhance employee influence over workplace conditions.
Unionen Stockholm organizer Timo Rybak emphasized that unionizing in Sweden is about both parties having influence and discussing matters at the table. This process helps employers understand the daily work of employees, something impossible for executives or HR without direct experience. Additionally, unionizing educates employees about their rights, which is particularly important in industries like game development with many immigrant workers.
Falck highlighted that the union has already benefited from sharing information on employee rights, helping many European and American game developers at King understand their entitlements. While the union effort began as a reaction to an unpopular change, its purpose is to safeguard the aspects of their job and company culture they cherish.
King's office in Stockholm, Sweden.
