Statement on Microsoft Layoffs Updated

Updated statement from CWA District 2-13 Vice President Michael Davis about Microsoft's layoffs.

As the Vice President of CWA District 2-13, I cannot emphasize enough the urgency of our situation in light of the recent layoff announcements sweeping through Microsoft. These job losses do more than disrupt the lives of our skilled workers; they signify a troubling trend that threatens the very foundation of our union.

Now, more than ever, we must unite in solidarity with those affected. It’s time to demand that Microsoft prioritize its workforce. We cannot accept a future where workers are treated as expendable resources.

At District 2-13, we are not merely observers; we represent Xbox workers who have organized their union and won bargaining rights.

So let me be clear about what that means in practice. If these layoffs affect our members, we will demand immediate bargaining – over fair severance, over vendor-contract decisions, over internal placement so that qualified employees can move into open roles, and over recall rights.

That’s the difference a union makes. Organized workers have a seat at the table on the decisions that affect their lives and families, and that includes layoffs. Workers without a union are left to accept whatever cards they are dealt by management for any given decision.

If Microsoft decides to treat the workers who built Xbox as expendable, it should know who they’re dealing with. This is not just a fight with the thousands of workers across Xbox; it’s a fight with each and every member at CWA — hundreds of thousands of people strong.

Mike Davis 
Vice-President 
CWA District 2-13