Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said that Microsoft will recognize Raven Software’s union once its nearly $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard closes next year.
“Linda Norman and I have been spending a lot of time educating myself about unions,” Spencer reportedly said. “We absolutely support employees’ right to organize and form unions.” Although Microsoft doesn’t have a relationship with Communication Workers of America nor with the Game Workers Alliance, Spencer made it very clear that he supports the right of game developers to organize unions, especially Raven Software’s union, knowing that Activision Blizzard won’t recognize it before the acquisition goes through pending investigation by the Federal Trade Commission . It’s technically illegal for a company not to recognize a union at this point.