ZeniMax Workers Union Authorizes Strike Against ‘Fallout’ And ‘Doom’ Parent Company – Demands Include “Better Wages”, “Remote Work Options”, And Explanation For QA Work Being “Outsourced”
In further compounding Microsoft’s efforts to stay afloat in the gaming sphere, the employee union representing the devs currently under the umbrella of the company’s Fallout and Doom-owning subsidiary ZeniMax Media has overwhelmingly voted to authorize a full-blown strike in support of ongoing negotiations for better working conditions.
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Formed in 2023 according to the votes of roughly 300 company employees, most of whom were a part of its quality assurance division, ZeniMax Workers United has not only since gone on to be formally recognized by Microsoft (with the two even entering into a mutually-recognized labor neutrality agreement), but also extend its protections to everyone of the subsidiary’s eligible employees.
And it was in service of their collective goal of protecting members that, on April 1st, the union announced that they had “overwhelmingly voted, by more than 94%, to authorize union leadership to call for a strike”.
“ZeniMax Workers United-CWA and Microsoft have been negotiating for a first contract for nearly two years,” explained the group in an official press release. “Members of the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA bargaining committee are continuing to take a stand at the table over better wages, workplace improvements, and key concerns, including a lack of remote work options and the company’s replacement of in-house quality assurance work with outsourced labor without notifying the union, “Before a series of nationwide member rallies, including when ZWU-CWA members walked off the job in Maryland and Texas on a one-day work stoppage, CWA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Microsoft for unilaterally outsourcing work.”
Speaking in support of the vote, ZeniMax Workers United member and Senior QA Tester Skylar Hinnant praised the move, asserting, “We’re not afraid to use our union power to ensure that we can keep making great games.”
“All of us want to be working,” he added. “We hope that Microsoft will allow us to do so with dignity and fairness to all by securing a first contract with our union.”
Likewise, fellow union member and Senior QA Tester Aubrey Litchfield explained of his ‘pro-strike’ vote, “Despite being one of the world’s largest corporations, we’ve had to continuously fight for what should be 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 added. “Our in-house contractors have been working on minimal wages with no benefits, including no paid sick time. Workers are choosing not to start families because of the uncertainty of finances. We’ve released multiple titles while working fully remote. When will enough be enough?”
Founded in 1999 and later bought up by Microsoft in 2021, while ZeniMax Media is perhaps best known as the parent company of Elder Scrolls and Fallout series heralds Bethesda Softworks.
However, they also hold a number of other notable game development entities under its umbrella, including Doom series creator iD Software, current Wolfenstein series shepherds and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle studio MachineGames, as well as Dishonored series and Marvel’s Blade devs Arkane Studios.
For clarification, it should be made clear that the union’s vote only authorized a full strike rather than officially kicking one off.
This means that, should negotiations between ZeniMax Workers United and Microsoft continue to stall out, the union can declare a full member strike without needing to call for another vote.
Meanwhile, on Microsoft’s end, the Xbox parent company has yet to publicly respond to the union’s vote.
As such, how this will eventually play out for the game studio remains to be seen.
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