Private Doctor's Removal Ignites Union at Candy Crush Developer

In early 2024, following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, an email was sent to employees at the company's Stockholm office announcing the end of a cherished benefit: a free, private doctor service. This decision sparked a significant unionization effort among the staff.

Last fall, over one hundred employees at King's Stockholm location formed a union club with Unionen, Sweden's largest trade union. This move was acknowledged by company management, and the group is now working towards securing a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to better govern their work environment, policies, and benefits.

In Sweden, union membership differs from the U.S. model. Eligible workers can join a trade union at any time, contributing to a 70% union involvement rate in the country. Swedish unions negotiate sector-wide working conditions, and individual membership can offer additional benefits. However, forming a union club and securing a CBA allows employees to negotiate company-specific benefits and gain a voice in major company decisions. This approach has been adopted by 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 prior to 2024, union discussions were minimal. A Slack channel dedicated to union talks had only about nine or ten members. However, the announcement in early January about the termination of the private doctor benefit, which had been introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, changed the landscape. The doctor, reportedly chosen by then-CEO Bobby Kotick, was highly valued for her responsiveness and support during the crisis.

The sudden removal of this benefit, with only a week's notice, left employees scrambling to find alternative healthcare options. The replacement offered, private health insurance, was seen as inferior, lacking the personal touch of the previous service. This led to widespread discussion and dissatisfaction among the staff, prompting a revival of the union Slack channel, which soon grew to 217 members.

By October 2024, the group voted to officially form a union club and establish a union board at King Stockholm. Since then, the union has engaged with Activision Blizzard HR to establish communication channels. Microsoft has maintained a neutral stance on unions, consistent with its public commitments and reports from other newly-formed unions within the company.

While the private doctor benefit cannot be reinstated, Falck and her colleagues aim to secure a CBA to protect other valuable benefits from similar abrupt changes. Key issues for negotiation include salary transparency, information sharing, and protections during company reorganizations and layoffs. The primary goal is to influence the workplace positively for all employees.

Timo Rybak, a Unionen Stockholm organizer, emphasized the importance of unionizing in Sweden, where both parties have a say in workplace matters. This approach helps employers understand the daily work experiences of employees, which are often unknown to top management. Additionally, unionizing educates employees, especially immigrant workers in the game development and IT sectors, about their rights.

The unionization effort at King Stockholm has already facilitated the sharing of information on employee rights, benefiting both European and American game developers who may not be fully aware of their entitlements. For Falck and her colleagues, this union club represents a way to protect the unique aspects of their workplace culture and benefits that they deeply value.