Following the path of earlier union efforts by Bethesda employees and ZeniMax QA workers, 461 developers at ZeniMax Online Studios have formed a union. This union has been acknowledged by Microsoft, the parent company that acquired ZeniMax and its subsidiaries in 2021. The union, named ZOS United-CWA, is aligned with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), similar to previous unionization movements within ZeniMax Media.
The newly formed union includes web developers, designers, engineers, and graphic artists. An announcement on Bluesky highlighted that the union members represent "a majority of video game workers at ZeniMax Online Studios and the workers behind ESO." The union expressed enthusiasm about joining other tech and video game workers in fostering industry solidarity through CODE-CWA, the CWA's initiative for unionization in tech, gaming, and digital sectors.
In their announcement, ZOS United-CWA stated, "With a union, we are looking forward to collectively pushing for improvements to the workplace, including job security, protections against AI, better pay and benefits--in an industry that we’re so deeply passionate about." In June, Microsoft entered into a labor-neutrality agreement with the CWA, committing not to hinder any unionization efforts within ZeniMax Media, thereby facilitating easier unionization for ZeniMax workers.
Shortly after, Bethesda workers announced their own union, marking the first Microsoft game studio to be fully unionized. Before this, QA workers across ZeniMax studios and Bethesda had formed the largest certified video game union in the US in January 2023.
Source link: https://www.gamespot.com
