QA testers at the Microsoft subsidiary Zenimax want to set up an employee organization. A majority of employees in quality assurance have decided to take the step, ZeniMax Workers United announced on Monday. Support came from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union.
ZeniMax Workers United would not only be the largest video game employee organization in the US, but also the first union within Microsoft. Under the Zenimax umbrella, the QA testers work on titles such as “Starfield” at Bethesda, among others.
ZeniMax Workers United’s goals include fair treatment of all employees and reasonable wages, the organization writes. Opportunities for career advancement within the company should also be promoted. QA testers are paid comparatively low in the gaming industry.
Strategic Backgrounds
There are also strategic reasons why Microsoft is not opposed to the establishment of a union, as other tech giants from the USA such as Amazon and Apple are vehemently trying to do. Microsoft’s planned takeover of Activision-Blizzard is being meticulously examined by competition watchdogs. The CWA, the most important trade union organization for the tech industry in the USA, had initially expressed concerns about the deal. After Microsoft assured that it would not hinder union formation at Activision Blizzard, it withdrew its protest.
In the summer, Microsoft also signaled that this commitment to neutrality on union issues would also apply to existing departments within the company. The case of Zenimax Workers United shows that Microsoft is serious about this commitment, the CWA commented on Twitter.
Microsoft bought Zenimax Media for $7.5 billion in spring 2021 to bolster its portfolio of in-house developments with brands like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Doom.
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