What the Complaints Allege
The formal unfair labor complaints, submitted to the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), cite several serious violations:
- Repudiation and modification of labor contracts
- Refusal to furnish required information to union representatives
- Refusal to bargain and bad faith bargaining practices
- Coercive actions including surveillance of workers
According to Carmel Smyth, president of CWA Canada, Microsoft allegedly terminated employees during active negotiations over a collective agreement. This, the union argues, is a legal obligation that Microsoft failed to honor. The company was required to bargain with the union before implementing layoff decisions affecting represented workers.
Union’s Position
The CWA is pursuing action through every available channel. An id Software employee and union member emphasized that holding large corporations accountable matters because preventing other executives from breaking labor law depends on real consequences.
Beyond the legal filing, CWA organized Save Our Devs
demonstrations this week outside affected studios including Zenimax, id Software, Bethesda, and Obsidian. A Blizzard employee noted that internal efforts proved insufficient, necessitating public pressure on the company.
Pattern of Labor Disputes
This is not the first time CWA has challenged Microsoft’s labor practices through legal means. The union has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against Microsoft subsidiaries:
| Company/Year | Allegation |
|---|---|
| Activision (2025) | Disciplining Raven Software employee over bargaining communications |
| Activision (2025-2026) | Multiple open unfair labor practice cases in NLRB database |
| Zenimax (2025-2026) | Five open cases filed by CWA against the studio |
| Bethesda Game Studios (2025) | Unfair bargaining practices; treating Canadian employees as second-class citizens |
Facing an Overwhelmed Board
The NLRB is currently dealing with a significant backlog of pending cases. A 2025 incident involving the firing of a Democratic board member left the agency unable to decide cases for nearly a year. Analysis from the Center for American Progress shows that under previous administrations, the NLRB was more likely to dismiss unfair labor practice charges filed by unions.
Despite these structural obstacles, unions continue pressing forward. The work of bargaining committees and CWA staff evaluating the legality of these layoffs reflects a determination to ensure even the world’s largest companies answer for labor law violations.
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