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Update: Microsoft claims it has made 'fair' proposals to union workers after Zenimax staff authorize strikeUpdate: Microsoft claims it has made 'fair' proposals to union workers after Zenimax staff authorize strike
Unionized ZeniMax workers have accused Microsoft of failing to address key concerns after years of bargaining, but the company claims it has made 'substantial progress' during negotiations.
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Update (04/03/2025): Microsoft says it has presented a "fair" proposal to unionized ZeniMax workers that would deliver immediate pay increases, additional benefits, and remote-working options.
A company spokesperson told Game Developer the U.S. conglomerate is "deeply committed" to addressing the issues and concerns of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA members, who earlier this week voted to authorize strike action and indicated Microsoft has failed to bargain in good faith.
"Our quality assurance team is an integral part of our business and is key to our ability to deliver games our players will love. We respect the team's right to express their viewpoints and are deeply committed to reaching a fair and equitable resolution that acknowledges the teams' contributions," said a Microsoft spokesperson.
"There has been substantial progress over the course of the negotiations, reaching tentative agreements on a majority of the topics at the table. We have presented a package proposal that we believe is fair—if accepted it would result in immediate compensation increases, even more robust benefits and is in alignment to the company’s hybrid model of 3 days in office. We look forward to continuing this progress during negotiations."
Original story: Hundreds of unionized workers at The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer ZeniMax Media have voted to authorize a strike.
The bargaining unit—represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 2100, 2108, and 6215 (ZeniMax Workers United-CWA)—is priming for strike action following two years of contract negations with ZeniMax parent company Microsoft.
Should those negotiations fall through, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA leaders will now have the power to call for a strike.
Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA bargaining committee are attempting to secure better wages, workplace improvements, and robust remote work options.
They also want Microsoft to address key concerns, such as its decision to replace in-house quality assurance staffers with outsourced labor without notifying the union. The latter incident resulted in the CWA filing an unfair labor practice against Microsoft and strike action from ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.
One union member suggested Microsoft and ZeniMax remain "unwilling" to meet their demands.
"Underpayment and costly RTO initiatives have caused many of us to put our lives on pause because our income does not match even the rising cost of living in the cities where ZeniMax insists we live and work to maintain employment," said ZeniMax Workers United-CWA Local 6215 Member and senior QA tester Zachary Armstrong.
Union members for "fair wages for the value our labor"
"None of us wishes it had come to this, but if Microsoft and ZeniMax continue to demonstrate at the bargaining table that they’re unwilling to pay us fair wages for the value our labor provides to our games, we’ll be showing them just how valuable our labor is."
Fellow union member and associate QA tester Aubrey Litchfield said workers at Microsoft and ZeniMax have been continuously fighting for the "bare minimum."
"Paying your employees a livable wage as a multi-trillion dollar company is the least they could be doing; however when addressed at the bargaining table, Microsoft acts as though we’re asking for too much," they continued.
Litchfield added that in-house ZeniMax contractors have been plying their trade on "minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick time," leaving them unable to plan for the future due to a lack of financial security.
ZeniMax Workers United-CWA was formed in 2023 after a supermajority of over 300 quality assurance workers voted to unionize. Later that year, Microsoft agreed to incorporate some contract workers into the union.
Other unions have assembled at Microsoft following its merger with Activision Blizzard, including a wall-to-wall union comprising over 500 employees at Blizzard Entertainment and another within ZeniMax Online Studios called ZOS United-CWA.
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