Candy Crush Union Emerges Amid Private Doctor Dispute

In early 2024, a significant change in employee benefits at Activision Blizzard's Stockholm office, initiated by new owner Microsoft, unexpectedly ignited a unionization drive. The removal of a highly valued on-site doctor, providing healthcare for employees and their families, prompted swift action.

IGN reports that over a hundred employees at King's Stockholm studio subsequently formed a union club with Unionen, Sweden's largest trade union. This group aims to secure a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to influence workplace conditions, policies, and benefits.

Swedish unionization differs from the U.S. model. Swedish workers can join unions regardless of company organization, resulting in approximately 70% union membership. Unions negotiate sector-wide conditions, while individual membership offers additional benefits. However, forming a union club and securing a CBA provides workplace-specific advantages, including representation in company management and decision-making. This mirrors a growing trend in the Swedish games industry, with similar initiatives at Paradox Interactive and Avalanche Studios.

Kajsa Sima Falck, an engineering manager and union board member, explained that pre-2024 union activity was minimal. The company's Slack channel dedicated to union discussions remained largely inactive. The catalyst for change was the abrupt removal of the popular on-site doctor, with only a week's notice. While a private health insurance plan replaced this benefit, employees found it inferior to the personalized care previously provided.

This unexpected loss of a cherished benefit sparked widespread discussion among employees, highlighting their lack of bargaining power without a CBA. This led to a surge in union interest, with the Slack channel rapidly growing to 217 members. In October 2024, the group officially formed a union club. [IGN contacted Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King for comment but received no response.]

While the lost doctor benefit is irretrievable, the union aims to secure a CBA to protect existing benefits and influence future changes. Key areas of focus include salary, transparency, protection against reorganizations and layoffs, and overall workplace influence. Timo Rybak, a Unionen Stockholm organizer, emphasized the value of employee input in shaping workplace conditions. He highlighted that unionization provides employees with a platform to share their experiences and knowledge, which is invaluable to management. Additionally, the union helps educate employees, particularly immigrant workers, about their rights.

For Falck and her colleagues, the union's formation, initially a response to a negative change, has evolved into a means of preserving the positive aspects of their workplace culture and benefits. The goal is to ensure a voice in shaping King's future.