QA workers at ZeniMax reach tentative contract agreement
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Summary
Over 300 quality assurance workers for video game developers ZeniMax have reached a contract agreement with Microsoft, according to the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union, which organised the workers.
This is the first union contract agreement with a major US video game company, and the first agreement with Microsoft since it agreed to a labour neutrality deal with the CWA in 2023, which allowed unionisation efforts within the company.
The deal includes pay increases for some of the lowest paid workers in the industry and also includes protections from arbitrary dismissal, as well as crediting guidelines forstaff who have worked on games.
A ratification vote for the contract will take place in late June.
The agreement comes after a year of strikes and protests by ZeniMax workers, and follows Microsoft’s $68.7bn acquisition of ZeniMax in 2021.
Given Microsoft’s size and dominance in the video game industry, the deal is expected to set a precedent for other negotiations.
Unionisation efforts have recently gained traction in the US video game industry, following several scandals over unfair labour practices and toxic workplace cultures.