The CWA Tells Asks The European Commission To Consider The Positive Impact Microsoft Purchasing ABK Will Have On Worker’s Rights

While game companies like Sony worry about whether or not Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard will result in them losing access to games like Call of Duty, many have been looking at the potential merger as a possible good thing for employees. This is particularly true since ABK doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to how they treat their staff – and don’t seem to actually care about that fact. Microsoft, on the other hand, has been going out of its way recently to ensure that they stand apart from Activision Blizzard on at least one front, allowing staff to unionize. Where Blizzard treats each attempt at unionization as a threat and does everything it can to prevent it from happening, Microsoft has decided to stand back and not only let staff vote on unionization but recognize it when it happens.

This isn’t to say that Microsoft is an angel of a company, but it at least means they have more sense than ABK when it comes to public perception. That even carries over to the company having stated that they’ll recognize any unions formed within ABK if-and-when the merger finally goes through.

With that in mind, it’s not exactly surprising to find out that the Communication Workers of America President Chris Shelton is asking the European Commission – who has been heavily investigating the merger – to allow it to go through. Shelton wrote a letter to the European Commission’s executive vice president, pointing out the many issues workers face at Activision Blizzard and noting that while the CWA even had reservations about the merger, the fact that the company has entered a labor neutrality agreement with the organization means ABK’s employees will be allowed to unionize without worry under Microsoft. The alternative would likely be remaining under the “leadership” of Bobby Kotick.

In additional news… remember Sony’s fretting about Call of Duty that we mentioned earlier? Well, Microsoft went through with its promise to Nintendo, which agreed to take the company up on its ten-year deal to have Call of Duty appear on the developer’s platforms. A binding ten-year contract has been signed between the two companies. Microsoft offered the same deal to Sony and Steam. Sony claimed the deal was “inadequate” while Steam said they hadn’t needed one in the past so they don’t need one now.

Note: Activision Blizzard is still under investigation by the state of California for serious harassment charges. CEO Bobby Kotick is alleged to have known about such actions within his company – and performed some himself – and shielded the perpetrators from consequences.