‘We’ll be showing them just how valuable our labor is:’ Zenimax workers vote to authorize strike at Microsoft

A group of organized workers at The Elder Scrolls and Fallout creator ZeniMax Media has voted to permit a strike.

The bargaining unit—represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 2100, 2108, and 6215 (ZeniMax United-CWA)—is gearing up for strike action after two years of contract discussions with ZeniMax’s parent company Microsoft.

Should these negotiations fall through, leaders of ZeniMax United-CWA will now have the authority to initiate a strike.

Members of the ZeniMax United-CWA bargaining committee are advocating for higher wages, improved working conditions, and flexible remote work options.

They also seek for Microsoft to address critical issues, such as its decision to replace in-house quality assurance employees with outsourced labor without informing the union. This situation led the CWA to file a complaint for unfair labor practices against Microsoft and strike action by ZeniMax United-CWA.

A union member remarked that Microsoft and ZeniMax seem “unwilling” to meet their demands.

“Low pay and expensive return-to-office policies have forced many of us to put our lives on hold, as our salaries do not even keep pace with the rising cost of living in the areas where ZeniMax insists we reside and work to retain our jobs,” stated Zachary Armstrong, a member of ZeniMax United-CWA Local 6215 and senior QA tester.

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Union members advocate for “fair wages for the value our labor”

“None of us wanted it to come to this, but if Microsoft and ZeniMax persist in showing at the negotiating table that they’re unwilling to compensate us fairly for the value our contributions bring to our games, we will demonstrate just how valuable our labor truly is.”

Another union member and fellow QA tester, Aubrey Litchfield, stated that employees at Microsoft and ZeniMax have been consistently fighting for the “bare minimum.”

“Providing your employees with a living wage as a multi-trillion dollar corporation is the least they could do; however, when discussed at the negotiating table, Microsoft behaves as if we’re asking for too much,” they added.

Litchfield also mentioned that in-house ZeniMax contractors have been working for “minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick leave,” making it difficult for them to plan for the future due to a lack of financial stability.

ZeniMax United-CWA was established in 2023 after an overwhelming majority of over 300 quality assurance workers voted for unionization. Later that year, Microsoft agreed to include some contract workers in the union.

Various unions have formed at Microsoft following its merger with Activision Blizzard, including a wall-to-wall union consisting of over 500 workers at Blizzard Entertainment and another internal ZeniMax Online Studios known as ZOS United-CWA.

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