A majority of quality assurance workers atZeniMax, owners of Bethesda and related studios, have announced an attempt to unionize.ZeniMaxand associated subsidiaries were acquired by Microsoft in March of last year, and a successful vote on behalf of the workers would lead to the tech giant’s first official union being formed.It was only a few days ago that Blizzard Albany, previously known as Vicarious Visions, finalized a lengthy democratic process and decided to form a union. The overwhelming success for workers came afterActivision Blizzard’s request for a further delay was dismissedby the National Labor Relations Board, amidst allegations from the same agency that the video game publisher had withheld raises from Raven Software staff that had recently unionized. Formed earlier this year by the company’s QA testers, Xbox head Phil Spencer confirmed that the union would continue to be recognized by Microsoft following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, espousing rhetoric that contrasted starkly with the hostility Raven Software has had to confront from its present owner.RELATED:Blizzard Albany Forms UnionIt seems that Spencer’s comments were heardby subsidiaries currently under Microsoft’s control, as a group of approximately 300 QA testers at ZeniMax Media recently took to Twitter to “announce the launch of our union.” Working with Communications Workers of America, the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, the members seek “fair treatment,” salaries that respect their labor, avenues for corporate progression, “accountability [and] transparency,” and a say in decisions that pertain to “scheduling, workload, [and] more.”
The statement suggests that preparations have been ongoing for some time, and confirm that “so far, Microsoft has remained committed to staying neutral throughout this process,“at least in part referring to Spencer’s comments. According to further details reported by The New York Times, “workers can sign a union authorization card… or weigh in anonymously for or against unionization on an electronic platform that opened on Friday.”
Participating workers seem to be taking Microsoft at its word because the process is operating “under an informal agreement” which stipulates neutrality from the Xbox maker. A conclusion to the ongoing vote can be expected towards the end of December, perhaps even before the new year. Regardless of Microsoft’s neutrality, interfering with the union votewould likely incur the ire of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, who has explicitly stated the regulatory body would scrutinize the impact on workers as a result of acquiring Activision Blizzard.
