Microsoft and CWA enter labor neutrality agreement
Brendan Sinclair
Managing Editor
Monday 13th June 2022
Microsoft and the Communications Workers of America today announced a labor neutrality agreement that would go into effect 60 days after the closure of the Xbox maker's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
"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.
"Microsoft's binding commitments will give employees a seat at the table and ensure that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard benefits the company's workers and the broader video game labor market. The agreement addresses CWA's previous concerns regarding the acquisition, and, as a result, we support its approval and look forward to working collaboratively with Microsoft after this deal closes."
The deal applies only to Activision Blizzard employees, and consists of five provisions.
"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," Microsoft president and vice chair Brad Smith said.
"We appreciate CWA's collaboration in reaching this agreement, and we see today's partnership as an avenue to innovate and grow together."
Microsoft and the union have also said they would try to collaborate in other ways, like working on implementing technology and skill-building programs for the US labor force to "enhance the country's competitiveness."
Last month Activision Blizzard QA employees at Raven Software voted to form the first
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