Video game quality assurance testers at Microsoft subsidiary ZeniMax Media have voted in favor of a strike authorization. The vote, supported by over 94% of the members, empowers the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union leaders to initiate a strike if deemed necessary. The QA testers are part of CWA Locals 2100, 2108, and 6215, collectively known as ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.
Negotiations between ZeniMax Workers United-CWA and Microsoft have been ongoing for almost two years, focusing on securing a first contract. Skylar Hinnant, a senior QA tester and a member of Local 2108, emphasized the workers’ intent: “We’re not afraid to use our union power to ensure that we can keep making great games…with dignity and fairness.”
The bargaining committee seeks better wages, improved workplace conditions, and remote work options. A critical issue is the outsourcing of quality assurance tasks without notifying the union, leading to the CWA filing an unfair labor practice charge against Microsoft.
Zachary Armstrong, another senior QA tester from Local 6215, expressed concerns over low wages: “Underpayment and costly RTO initiatives have caused many of us to put our lives on pause…We’ll be showing them just how valuable our labor is.”
Aubrey Litchfield, an associate QA tester with Local 2108, highlighted issues faced by in-house contractors, including low wages and the absence of benefits: “Paying your employees a livable wage as a multi-trillion dollar company is the least they could be doing.”
In January 2023, ZeniMax Workers United-CWA became the first video game studio union at Microsoft, representing more than 300 QA workers across Maryland and Texas. ZeniMax Media is renowned for games such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Doom.
The Communications Workers of America’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) supports this unionization effort. CODE-CWA aims to strengthen workers’ influence across tech and digital industries.
