ZeniMax QA Workers Establish Largest Video Games Industry Union In The US
A few weeks ago, the QA analysts of ZeniMax Media, including ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks, announced their plans to form a union under the Communication Workers of America. As of today, the ZeniMax Workers United has been formally recognized as Microsoft’s first worker union and is the largest union in the video games industry to date in the US.
Happy New Year! We won our union!
— ZeniMax Workers United - CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) January 3, 2023
“[ZeniMax workers] won their election, making them the FIRST official bargaining unit of [Microsoft] and the largest certified video game studio union in the US,” tweeted CODE-CWA. “The company formally recognized the union with [CWA]. Historic win. What a way to start 2023!”
The ZeniMax Workers United, which is made up of around 300 employees from ZeniMax Media, will be working to address low pay and unfair working conditions within the company, including crunch time, forced overtime, and being given tasks above their pay grade. A supermajority of workers voted in favor of the union with full from Microsoft who acquired ZeniMax Media in March 2021.
“In light of the results of the recent unionization vote, we recognize the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as the bargaining representative for the Quality Assurance employees at ZeniMax,” said Microsoft representative David Cuddy. “We look forward to engaging in good faith negotiations as we work toward a collective bargaining agreement.”
The CWA has confirmed that Microsoft continues to negotiate in good faith, which we note, is in stark contrast to Activision Blizzard’s continued efforts to delay and prevent unionization in its subsidiaries Raven Software and Blizzard Albany. This has earned Microsoft the CWA’s with regard to their well-contested acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
BREAKING: @ZeniMaxWorkers won their election, making them the FIRST official bargaining unit of @microsoft and the largest certified video game studio union in the U.S. The company has formally recognized the union with @CWAunion. Historic win. What a way to start 2023!!🥳🎮🌱
— CODE-CWA (@CODE_CWA) January 3, 2023
