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What I’ve Been Reading This Week


It is not every day that I come across an NBA related development, but given the issues around the Phoenix Suns organization and a recent development on the topic, this is as good of a week as any to highlight the matter.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


Happening July 1: Wage Hike Coming to Minneapolis

Beginning July 1, hourly workers will see a wage hike.  For employers with 100 or fewer employees, workers will begin to receive a wage of $13.50/hour (up from $12.50/hour).  For employers with more than 100 employees, workers will begin to receive a wage of $15/hour (up from $14.25/hour).  While we are still a few weeks out from these wage hikes, now is as good of a time as any for Minneapolis employers to prepare for the upcoming change.


Activision Blizzard Recognizes Game Workers Alliance Union

In recent weeks, I had noted that a group of quality assurance workers at Raven Software (which is under the Activision Blizzard umbrella) had voted to unionize.  This was a somewhat monumental movement as workers in the video game industry have had a long, hard fight to form unions.  While the Microsoft CEO of Gaming (which is in advanced stages to absorb Activision) had backed supporting the outcome of the election, Activision had been resistant to recognizing the union and engaging in negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement.  However, now that the Game Workers Alliance has officially been recognized, negotiations should begin to take place in the weeks ahead.


Phoenix Suns Employee Resigns Following Claims of Retaliation & Bullying By Supervisors

Readers might have heard the ongoing investigation by the NBA into the Phoenix Suns organization and their majority owner, Robert Sarver.  That investigation has stemmed from claims that the organization has fostered a hostile and toxic work environment, which includes allegations of racism and misogyny.  With the resignation of an employee last month (who held the title of Senior Premium Experience Manager), she sent a letter to Sarver and other senior members of the Suns organization in which she called out instances of alleged self dealing, favoritism, and gender discrimination within the organization.  The letter encouraged Sarver and the Suns organization to address these allegations and take steps to “right the ship.”  While the full details of the NBA’s investigation into the organization have not yet been released, I would be curious to see if any of these allegations appear in that report.

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