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ZeniMax QA employees are voting on unionization

Another studio moves towards unionization

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Quality assurance, or QA, employees at ZeniMax Media are currently holding a vote on whether or not they should form a union. Over 300 workers are part of a group that’s now determining whether it will join growing unionization efforts in the industry.

As the , quališ’Ŗty assurance employees at ZeniMax are conducting a vote. Workers will be allowed to sign a union authorization card, or weigh in anonymously over electronic means.

This process will conclude at the end of this month, and will affect QA workšŸ”Æers at studios like Bethesda. The employees are organizing under the banner, working with the Communication Workers of America (CWA).

Employees are hoping to secure fair treatment for individuals andšŸŽƒ commensurate wages. Additionally, they seek opportunities for advancement, accountability and transparency, and a voice in decision making around scheduling and workload.

Unions in the games industry

Microsoft has to discuss unionization and previously signed an agreement with the CWA to take a neutral approach to organizing efforts, should the Activision Blizzard acquisition go through. According to the CWA and ZeniMax Workers United, Microsoft has “” throughout the process.

A Microsoft spokesperson told the Times that the company remains “committed to providing employees with an opportunity to freely and fairly make choices about their workplace representation.”

This is hot off the heels of successful union efforts at Blizzard Albany. Recently, workers at the studio won the vote to successfully unionize, making it the second unionized QA team at Activision Blizzard alongside Raven Software. Microsoft is also still ią¦“n the process of ź¦†getting its acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved.

Since the Albany vote received pushback in the form of motions to postpone validationšŸƒ, eyes are on Microsoft now to see how union vote efšŸ‘forts at ZeniMax shake out.


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Eric Van Allen
Senior Editor - While Eric's been writing about games since 2014, he's been playing them for a lot longer. Usually found grinding RPG battles, digging into an indie gem, or hanging out around the Limsa Aethryte.