Over the past few years, the video game industry has gone through a change. More and more developers are looking to unionize. It began last year with Vodeo Games and over the course of this year, more and more employees at other companies are following suit. Raven Software, BioWare, and Blizzard Albany employees each voted to unionize. Now, some 300 ZeniMax Quality Assurance have announced their intention to form a union with the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, from the Communications Workers of America. If a majority of employees vote in favor of the union, it would be the first within Microsoft and would become the biggest for the video game industry in the U.S.

Today we, a majority of QA workers at ZeniMax, are proud to announce the launch of our union with @CWAunion. We are the first group of workers at Microsoft to formally unionize. We are empowered to advocate for ourselves & build a future where we can thrive alongside the company

— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) December 5, 2022

“We applaud Microsoft for remaining neutral through this process and letting workers decide for themselves whether they want a union,” CWA President Christopher Shelton said in a statement to CNN Business. “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 has made a different choice, which other corporations would be wise to emulate for the good of their corporate culture, their workers, and their customers.”

QA workers at ZeniMax are extremely passionate about our work and the games we make. Having a seat at the table will ensure we receive fair compensation for the work that we do. A union on the job will protect us and make sure our passion isn’t taken for granted.

— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) December 5, 2022

As unions have formed within Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Head of Gaming Phil Spencer said they would recognize the union when Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through. Microsoft as a whole said that they will recognize the rights of workers to organize. A Microsoft spokesperson told CNN Business that its neutral stance toward the organizing efforts of ZeniMax employees is “an example of our labor principles in action.” The spokesperson said that Microsoft remains committed “to providing employees with an opportunity to freely and fairly make choices about their workplace representation.”

We hope to secure the following w/ our union:
– Fair treatment for all individuals + wages commensurate with the value we provide
-Opportunities for advancement within the company
– Accountability + transparency
– A voice in decision making around scheduling, workload + more

— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) December 5, 2022

Joe Slack, an Associate Quality Assurance Tester at ZeniMax who is part of the organizing committee for the union said that workers are “not starting a union to be against the company.” The workers want to have a seat at the table as management makes decisions that will impact them. “We just really wanted to have a voice,” Slack told CNN Business, “and try and help with communication with management, and figuring out how we can deal with all these different things that challenge the group as a whole.” Slack said workers came together after seeing “just so much room for improvement” in their workplace.

We know we have a unique opportunity to be trailblazers for a new era of the game industry and we don’t take this lightly. Our union will be a place where ALL workers can collectively participate in decision making and push for changes that reflect the wants & needs of workers.

— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) December 5, 2022

According to Slack, Microsoft has been “very accommodating” throughout the process. “They understand that it’s a right and they wanted to leave it up to the workers,” Slack said. “There’s this perception of an adversarial relationship between the union and management, and it doesn’t have to be that way,” Slack added. “I’m happy to be part of a group that’s trying to prove that and improve everybody’s life and well-being in the process.”

So far, Microsoft has remained committed to staying neutral throughout this process. As we vote over the next 4 weeks in our democratic election, we hope that you will support our journey towards building lasting positive change for workers, gamers & the industry as a whole.

— ZeniMax Workers United – CWA (@ZeniMaxWorkers) December 5, 2022