Microsoft says it won’t stand in the way of Activision Blizzard workers attempting to unionize.
As reported by Axios, the company was replying to a letter sent to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella by Activision workers that asked whether the Xbox maker, which is attempting to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, has told the publisher to either approve or oppose the unionization efforts of its employees.
When asked about the letter by Axios, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company “will not stand in the way if Activision Blizzard recognizes a union.”
“Microsoft respects Activision Blizzard employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a labor organization and we will honor those decisions,” they continued.
The news comes as QA workers at Activision Blizzard’s Raven subsidiary seek to unionize under the Gamer Workers Alliance banner despite what they describe as attempts to “thwart” their efforts by Activision Blizzard.
During a recent National Labor Review Board hearing, Raven employees said that Activision has tried to “thwart Raven QA workers who are exercising their right to organize” by reshuffling teams to embed QA staff in different units such as engineering and audio, effectively dividing the union and diluting its influence.
Although Microsoft has said it won’t impede those unionization efforts, the company didn’t outline what discussions have already taken place with Activision Blizzard or its expectations for any collective bargaining process.