The Communications Workers of America union (CWA) has denounced Microsoft’s decision to lay off an additional 650 video game workers as ‘extremely disappointing’. The union expressed that Microsoft, being one of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations, could have achieved its goals for long-term success without affecting the livelihoods of these employees.
Union’s Stand on Layoffs
While acknowledging that organizing does not always protect against layoffs, the CWA emphasized that collective bargaining gives workers a voice in the policies that affect them, including how layoffs are handled. The union criticized former Sony boss Chris Deering’s suggestion that layoffs are not due to corporate greed and that those affected should ‘drive an Uber’.
Solidarity and Call to Action
Samuel Cooper, senior producer at World of Warcraft and member of WoWGG-CWA, stated, ‘Every worker deserves a voice on the job and a say over the impact of job cuts. While we would hope that a company like Microsoft with $88 billion in profits last year could achieve long-term success without destroying the livelihoods of 650 of our colleagues, heartless layoffs like these have become all too common. We stand in solidarity with everyone who lost their job and encourage all video game workers to join with us and form unions so we can protect each other.’
Despite the layoffs, no games have been canceled, and no studios have been closed this time.
