Group Behind Activision Blizzard Union-Busting Lawsuit Contacts EU Regulators About Microsoft Acquisition

gamerant.com:

A major U.S. syndicate that previously sued Activision Blizzard for union busting has sent a letter to the European Union's antitrust authorities arguing in favor of the company's sale to Microsoft. Its rare act of big business-friendly advocacy arrived just as Microsoft prepared to defend the Activision Blizzard acquisition at a February 21 hearing with EU officials.

The all-cash transaction valued at nearly $70 billion attracted major regulatory scrutiny immediately following its January 2022 announcement, culminating in a recent antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. And while many Xbox rivals expressed concerns with the Activision Blizzard acquisition, the deal has also found a somewhat unlikely ally in the Communications Workers of America, one of the largest U.S. syndicates, which sued the Call of Duty publisher over union-busting practices in August 2022. However, the CWA also came out in support of the company's sale to Microsoft a few months prior to that, after the Washington-based tech giant offered binding assurances that it will not stand in the way of collective bargaining at Activision Blizzard should the proposed sale go through.

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While the subsequent union-busting complaint against Activision Blizzard seemingly went against the CWA's pro-merger stance, the syndicate has once again signaled that it remains in favor of the deal. Namely, the CWA is has asked the EU to approve Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, having said as much in an open letter addressed to Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice president of the European Commission. The February 20 communication penned by CWA President Chris Shelton reiterates the union's