Organizing Update

State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Graduate student Research Assistants of the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) hand delivered a letter last Thursday to President Joanie Mahoney’s office demanding voluntary recognition after a majority of them signed cards indicating their desire to form a union with CWA. Their union, ESF Research Assistants Union (RAU)-CWA, is seeking voluntary recognition.

The university relies on the Research Assistants to conduct crucial research, run labs, teach and assist students, and more. Despite the essential role they play, these workers have been saddled with severe economic hardships resulting from low pay and burdensome student fees, as well as poor working conditions, including lack of affordable and adequate healthcare coverage, workplace harassment, and being overworked without additional compensation. One of the primary challenges the Research Assistants face are the burdensome student fees they need to pay in order to perform their duties, like operating the software system through which they access their students’ assignments and submit grades. In addition to eliminating this work-to-pay culture, the workers, who currently make less than the living and minimum wage, are demanding fair compensation that reflects the value they bring to the university. Read more here.

Graduate student Research Assistants of the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) hand delivered a letter last Thursday to President Joanie Mahoney’s office demanding voluntary recognition after a majority of them signed cards indicating their desire to form a union with CWA.

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Activision Blizzard

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found merit with several elements of the unfair labor practice charges filed by CWA on behalf of workers at Blizzard who faced illegal coercion, intimidation, and silencing by their employer in August 2022. The NLRB is moving forward with prosecuting Blizzard for engaging in illegal surveillance of workers organizing in Irvine, Calif., and Albany, N.Y., and unlawfully threatening to disable standard communication platforms as part of the company’s ongoing union-busting campaign.

This egregious behavior by Blizzard is yet another example of the company using its platforms and tools to coerce and intimidate workers exercising their protected right to organize. These actions, coupled with Activision Blizzard’s illegal firing of workers speaking out about their working conditions and several other unlawful actions, show a clear pattern to disregard the law in an attempt to silence workers. CWA has filed numerous additional pending Unfair Labor Practice charges against Activision Blizzard to hold the company accountable for its illegal union-busting tactics. Read more here.