Unionized Ea Staffers Are Not Happy About That Proposed Saudi-backed Acquisition

EA labor progressive pinch nan Communications Workers of America national person issued a sternly-worded connection against nan recently-proposed backstage acquisition of nan institution by Saudi-backed investors, according to a study by Eurogamer. The complaints don't impact Saudi Arabia's agelong history of quality authorities violations, but alternatively that workers weren't represented successful immoderate negotiations for nan $55 cardinal deal.

The labor interest that immoderate jobs mislaid arsenic a consequence of nan acquisition would "be a choice, not a necessity, made to pad investors' pockets." In summation to this general response, unionized workers have issued a petition that urges regulators to scrutinize nan deal.

"EA is not a struggling company," nan connection reads, going connected to statement that nan company's occurrence has been driven by workers. "Yet we, nan very group who will beryllium jeopardized arsenic a consequence of this deal, were not represented astatine each erstwhile this buyout was negotiated aliases discussed."

The connection calls retired nan huge number of layoffs that person impacted nan manufacture successful caller years. Unionized staffers statement that "every clip backstage equity aliases billionaire investors return a workplace private, workers suffer visibility, transparency and power."

"We are calling connected regulators and elected officials to scrutinize this woody and guarantee that immoderate way guardant protects jobs, preserves imaginative state and keeps decision-making accountable to nan workers who make EA successful," nan connection reads. "The worth of video games is successful their workers. As a unified voice, we, nan members of nan industry-wide video crippled workers' national UVW-CWA, are opinionated together and refusing to fto firm greed determine nan early of our industry."

Eurogamer reached retired to nan FTC to inquire astir nan position of nan projected acquisition but nan agency refused to remark connected nan grounds that it doesn't speak astir "pending mergers aliases acquisitions." It's worthy noting that President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is progressive pinch nan purchase. The Financial Times recently suggested that nan woody won't look immoderate existent opposition, arsenic "what regulator is going to opportunity nary to nan president's son-in-law?"

As antecedently noted, nan projected woody is weighted astatine $55 billion. This would return nan institution backstage for nan first clip successful its 35-year history. Various entities person collaborated to make this deal, including nan Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake and Kushner's Affinity Partners. US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have besides voiced concerns astir this acquisition.