QA Workers at Microsoft's ZeniMax Vote to Form Union, Microsoft Recognizes Union - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 January 2023 / 3,025 Views
It was announced last month that 300 quality assurance employees at Microsoft owned ZeniMax Media were looking to hold a vote on whether to form a union.
A vote has now taken place and it was announced a supermajority of the workers have "indicated that they wish to join ZeniMax Workers United/CWA either by signing a union authorization card or voting via an online portal."
Microsoft has recognized the union without putting up a fight. This was to be expected as Microsoft previously worked out a deal with The Communications Workers of America (CWA) to agree to a labor neutrality agreement, which would let workers freely form their own unions.
Up next for ZeniMax Workers United/CWA is contract negotiations with Microsoft.
Happy New Year! We won our union!
— ZeniMax Workers United - CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) January 3, 2023
ZeniMax Workers United/CWA is the largest group of union-represented Quality Assurance testers at any video game developer in the US. It is also the first studio to have union representation at Microsoft.
"We’re thrilled to kick off 2023 in a workplace that’s stronger and more equitable than it was last year," said Skylar Hinnant, Senior QA Tester II, Rockville. "This is an empowering victory that allows us to protect ourselves and each other in a way we never could without a union. Our hope and belief is that this is the year in which game workers across the country exercise their power and reshape the industry as a whole."
Senior QA Audio Tester in Hunt Valley Victoria Banos added, "Before us is an opportunity to make big changes and bring equity to the video game industry. We want to put an end to sudden periods of crunch, unfair pay, and lack of growth opportunities within the company. Our union will push for truly competitive pay, better communication between management and workers, a clear path for those that want to progress their career, and more."
Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton stated, "Microsoft has lived up to its commitment to its workers and let them decide for themselves whether they want a union. Other video game and tech giants have made a conscious choice to attack, undermine, and demoralize their own employees when they join together to form a union. Microsoft is charting a different course which will strengthen its corporate culture and ability to serve its customers and should serve as a model for the industry and as a blueprint for regulators."
Senior QA Tester in Dallas Dylan Burton added, "It's difficult to express in words just how much winning our union matters to us. We've been working so hard to get here that it would be impossible not to be excited. We know this is not the end of our hard work, but reaching this milestone gives us faith that when workers stand together, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
