Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will appear in court in San Francisco on June 28, 2023. The CEOs of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are scheduled to testify in an effort to persuade a federal judge in California to reject the Federal Trade Commission's efforts to block the $69 billion deal.
Shelby Knowles | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The agreement required Microsoft to remain neutral toward employees expressing interest in unionizing and to provide appropriate communication and information for employees to make a decision. The labor neutrality agreement took effect after Microsoft and Activision signed a deal in October after months of regulatory pushback.
“We maintained our commitment to remain neutral during the organizing campaign and after this vote,” Microsoft attorney Amy Panoni said in a statement.
Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees in its gaming division in January.
QA tester Kara Fannon said in a statement that the union, known as Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA, is seeking higher pay and more career opportunities.
Activision quality assurance employees in California, Texas, and Minnesota have joined the Communications Workers of America union in a record-breaking alliance.
“Microsoft remains committed to empowering workers to decide for themselves whether to form a union.” CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said in a statement.
Worker organizing in the tech industry has proliferated in recent years as big tech companies have grown and increased scrutiny of worker protections.
Activision's QA staff, who scrutinize game glitches and bugs, find their role feels undervalued compared to software engineers and developers, and specifically emphasizes the need for worker protections doing.
QA workers at the video game maker's Albany branch also formed a union before the Microsoft-Activision deal was finalized.
“QA is currently an undervalued area in the games and software industry,” the Albany Paper wrote. Social media at that time. “We strive to foster a work environment where your important role in the development process is respected and rewarded.”
