Following a majority vote to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), “World of Warcraft” gaming staff at Microsoft have received a show of support from the tech company.
“We continue to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace, and we will engage in good faith negotiations with the CWA as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement,” a spokesperson for Microsoft said Wednesday.
Per Bloomberg, which first reported on the unionizing efforts by “World of Warcraft” employees (who are part of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard team), the vote adds approximately 500 designers, engineers, producers, artists and quality assurance testers to the total number of Microsoft’s U.S.-based gaming staff that have unionized, now reaching a total of around 1,750 employees.
Related Stories
VIP+Sports Is Traditional TV’s Hail Mary, Despite Pressure From Streaming
Netflix Developing 'Six Minutes to Freedom,' 'Flight Risk' Writer Jared Rosenberg Adapting Hostage Rescue Story (EXCLUSIVE)
This development follows last week’s news that more than 200 staff members at Microsoft’s “Fallout” maker Bethesda Game Studios had unionized.
Popular on Variety
“We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry,” senior system designer and member of CWA Mandi Parker said in a statement Friday. “It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole.”
Microsoft has been unusually open to working with unions. As it sought regulatory approval in 2022 to buy Activision Blizzard, the company announced a new set of principles, including a commitment to “collaborative approaches that will make it simpler” for workers to choose whether to unionize.
The promise from Microsoft came on the heels of a 2021 walkout at Activision, when hundreds of employees rallied after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a complaint against the then-Bobby Kotick-led company’s “frat boy culture” and accusations of harassment.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Sting, Jennifer Hudson Join ‘The Voice’ Season 26 as Mega Mentors
Latest Production Stats Paint Grim Picture for Reality TV
Anxious Sports TV Execs Portend Rights Bubble Trouble
Most Popular
Robin Williams Called Conan O’Brien After ‘Tonight Show’ Firing and Sent Him Out on a Bike Ride: ‘You’re Gonna Be Fine. Ride Around, You’ll Feel…
MSNBC Faces Potential for Big Changes in Comcast Cable Spin-Off
Denzel Washington Lost Best Actor to Kevin Spacey and Stopped Voting for Oscars: ‘They Don’t Care About Me? I Don’t Care. I Gave Up. I Got Bitter…
Matthew McConaughey Made a Pact With His Wife After Leaving Hollywood for Texas: ‘I'm Not Going Back Unless I Get Offered Roles’ That Aren’t…
‘The Studio’ Trailer: Movie Exec Seth Rogen Gets Berated by Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Ron Howard and More in Apple TV+ Comedy
HBO Says ‘Harry Potter’ Series Will ‘Benefit’ From J.K. Rowling’s Involvement: She ‘Has the Right to Express Her Personal Views…
Denzel Washington Has Been Sober for 10 Years, Says He Used to Drink Two Bottles of Wine a Day and ‘I’ve Done Damage to the Body’
‘Emily in Paris’ Season 5 Will Start Shooting in France Next Spring, Lucas Bravo to Return as Gabriel (EXCLUSIVE)
Ralph Macchio on Why Now Was the Right Time to End 'Cobra Kai,' the Future of Daniel LaRusso and That Coldplay Music Video
Anne Hathaway to Star in Colleen Hoover’s ‘Verity’ Movie Adaptation
Must Read
- Music
Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyonce Leads With 11 Nods
- Film
Mattel’s ‘Wicked’ Movie Dolls Mistakenly List Porn Site on Packaging
- Film
With ‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,’ Director Tyler Taormina Makes an Instant Holiday Classic
- TV
How ‘Office Ladies’ Transformed From a BFF Hang for Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey to One of the Biggest Podcasts in the World
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjqCYpqGenHyvsdasZrCnoqGxbrvFZq6aqpOnrqfAjK6loqeeYrqqr9GoqqiepGK%2Fpr%2FPqKWsnV1mf3SCj3Fqb2lmZA%3D%3D