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The Communications Employees of America (CWA) labor union says none of its members have been impacted by the seismic layoffs at Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.
The CWA presently represents tons of of workers throughout the newly-merged conglomerate inside subsidiaries like ZeniMax Studios, Raven Software program, and Blizzard Albany.
In a press release despatched to Recreation Developer, the union implored employees throughout the sport trade to prepare and guarantee they’ll affect the character of redundancy.
“Microsoft’s announcement that will probably be shedding 1,900 online game employees makes clear that, even whenever you work at a profitable firm in a particularly worthwhile trade, your livelihood will not be protected and not using a voice on the job,” stated a CWA spokesperson.
“Each online game employee deserves not solely their fair proportion, but additionally the peace of thoughts that comes from having a say over the impression of job cuts. Via organizing, employees have established primary office practices that at the moment are widespread—from the eight hour work day, to the 5 day workweek. By coming collectively and exercising their proper to prepare, employees within the online game trade could make layoff protections customary follow for all employees.”
“Firms will declare that we’re all a household, however a household doesn’t layoff or outsource folks.”
The CWA stated it can proceed to help employees at Microsoft and throughout the trade who need to have a union voice. Wayne Dayberry, senior QA tester and member of ZeniMax Employees United-CWA inside Microsoft, echoed these feedback and stated employees should rally collectively to guard one another.
“Firms will declare that we’re all a household, however a household doesn’t layoff or outsource folks. It is clear that by hook or by crook, the one means ahead is for all of us to come back collectively as employees to guard one another,” he stated. “Union illustration cannot all the time defend in opposition to layoffs, however by way of union illustration and the bargaining course of, online game employees can set up higher transparency and insurance policies that put our wants first, together with layoff protections.”
The CWA initially opposed Microsoft’s merger with Activision Blizzard and referred to as on the FTC to “carefully scrutinize the deal.” It did, nonetheless, ultimately throw its weight behind the transfer after coming into right into a labor neutrality settlement with Microsoft that lets employees “freely” unionize.
Knowledge from the GDC 2024 State of the Business report revealed earlier this month confirmed that whereas the vast majority of devs help unionization, only a few are actively discussing the prospect throughout the office. That is regardless of notable figures like former Bungie chief authorized officer Don McGowan calling on builders to unionize to fight a number of the “dirtiest tips” being utilized by employers.
Recreation Developer has reached out to the CWA to listen to what recommendation the union would supply to devs trying to take the primary steps on that path.
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