Labor Caucus Calls for Review of Electronic Arts Acquisition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Steven Horsford (NV-04), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Donald Norcross (NJ-01) led over 40 House Democrats in a letter urging Federal Trade Commission Chair, Andrew Ferguson, to review the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts by the Public Investment Fund.

“We are writing to express serious concerns regarding the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA) by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, and private equity firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners,” wrote the lawmakers. “We are committed to preserving fair, competitive labor markets and safeguarding American jobs, and given the impact of this acquisition on workers, labor market concentration, and the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. video game industry, we urge you to thoroughly review this transaction.”

“Workers in the video game industry are already navigating an environment marked by instability, shrinking opportunities, and repeated rounds of layoffs,” continued the lawmakers. “EA is one of the largest employers of video game workers in the United States, and evidence suggests the company already wields significant wage-setting power.”

“We respectfully urge the Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the labor market consequences of this proposed acquisition, including EA’s existing wage-setting power, the likelihood of post-transaction layoffs, the degree of labor-market concentration in relevant geographic and occupational markets, and the role of cross-ownership in shaping labor outcomes. Workers deserve a fair, competitive marketplace where their skills are valued,” concluded the lawmakers.

A full copy of the letter can be found here. The letter was signed by 46 House Democrats. This letter was supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).