Xbox to recognise Raven Software union

pcgamesinsider.biz:

Tech and games giant Microsoft will voluntarily recognise the newly-formed union at Activision Blizzard's Raven Software.

As reported by Kotaku, the head of Xbox boss Phil Spencer (pictured) said that it would "support" a workers union once the Big M closes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Right now, the exec said that Microsoft has a relationship with neither the Communication Workers of America or the Game Workers Alliance union at Raven.

“Linda Norman [Microsoft VP and deputy general counsel] and I have been spending a lot of time educating myself on unions.” Spencer said. “We absolutely support employees’ right to organize and form unions.”

He continued: “Once the deal closes, we would absolutely support [an] employees’ organization that’s in place. We think it is a right of employees and something that can be a part of a relationship between a company and people who work at the company.”

This is a seemingly consistent position with Microsoft; in March of this year, the company's general counsel Lisa Tanzi said that it would not oppose a union at Activision Blizzard. 

The Game Workers Alliance union was voted into existence in a 19-3 vote at Raven Software's QA department.

In January of this year, Microsoft announced it planned to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The deal is currently being investigated by the FTC.