EA Employees Publicly Oppose Sale to Saudi Arabia and Equity Firms: A Concern for Workers and Industry
Electronic Arts (EA) employees and members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) have released a statement opposing the pending acquisition and privatization of the company. The $55 billion deal, which includes the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, has raised concerns among workers and industry experts.
In the statement, union members working at EA express their dissatisfaction with the lack of representation during sale negotiations. They argue that the deal will concentrate power and wealth in the hands of a few gatekeepers, while neglecting the concerns of players and workers. The statement emphasizes that EA is not a struggling company, with annual revenues of $7.5 billion and a profit of $1 billion, driven by the creativity and skill of its tens of thousands of workers.
The group warns that any layoffs or studio closures are not necessary but rather a choice to pad investors' pockets. They argue that the deal will jeopardize the jobs and creative freedom of workers, as decisions shaping their future are made behind closed doors by executives with no industry experience.
To address these concerns, the union has launched a petition calling on the United States Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize the deal. They are urging regulators and elected officials to ensure that the deal protects jobs and preserves creative freedom. The petition is available at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/make-ea-better.
The announcement of the deal came in late September, with EA taking on $20 billion in debt to fund the sale. This has sparked further concerns about potential layoffs and the loss of transparency and power for workers. The statement concludes by emphasizing the value of video games in their workers and the industry's resistance to corporate greed.
The future of EA and its workers remains uncertain, and the industry is closely watching the outcome of this deal. Readers are encouraged to share their thoughts in the comments and join the Insider Gaming Discord server for further discussion. For more Insider Gaming content, readers can read about the head of Assassin's Creed leaving Ubisoft after 20 years with the company or sign up for the weekly newsletter.
