Microsoft agrees to neutrality in Activision Blizzard unionization efforts
Jun 14, 2022, 4:00 PM
Photo by Toby Scott/SOPA Images
In a wave of recent unionization efforts and their corresponding corporate counter efforts from Starbucks to Apple, Microsoft has made a unique promise to remain neutral in unionization efforts between Raven Software and Activision Blizzard.
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In January 2022, Microsoft announced that they would be purchasing Activision Blizzard in a historic $70 billion deal that would make Microsoft one of the largest video game developers in the world.
The sale is expected to close in June 2023 after a Federal Trade Commission investigation, and the new labor agreement is set to take effect 60 days after the deal is finalized.
Activision Blizzard announced Friday, June 10 they were entering bargaining with a group of quality assurance testers at Raven Software, who had spent the last six months demanding recognition of their union the Game Workers Alliance, which is being supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
“This agreement provides a pathway for Activision Blizzard workers to exercise their democratic rights to organize and collectively bargain after the close of the Microsoft acquisition and establishes a high road framework for employers in the games industry,” said CWA President Chris Shelton.
This announcement comes a week and a half after Microsoft published a blog from President and Vice-Chair Brad Smith setting their agenda for future employee organizing wherein they established four principles for handling labor disputes, including “We recognize that employees have a legal right to choose whether to form or join a union.”
“Earlier this month, we announced a set of principles that will guide our approach to labor organizations, and the Activision Blizzard acquisition is our first opportunity to put these principles into practice,” Smith said.
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