The Zenimex Workers United-C-Union has voted “tremendous” to give the union leadership authority if he is dragging a strike without negotiating with Microsoft without a resolution.
Zenimx Workers United, a part of US Communications Workers, was formed in January 2023 and was the largest video game union in the United States at that time. The negotiations for the first agreement began shortly after that, but almost two years later, limited movements have been made. The key concerns of the union include improved wages, “improvement in workplace,” housing for remote work, “and the company’s outsourcing workplace with outsourced labor without informing the union.”
The CWA accused Microsoft of unfair labor methods of this outsourcing QA’s work, and hundreds of members of the union took a one -day walkout against the lack of progress in the agreement negotiations in November 2024, but now it seems that the union has prepared more than 94 percent. Allow calls for a strike.
“Due to low payment and expensive RTO (return to the office), many of us have caused their lives to take their lives because our income is not even similar to the increasing cost of living in the cities where Zenimx insists that we live and work to maintain employment.”
“None of us wants it to reach it, but if Microsoft and Zenimax have continued to demonstrate at the bargaining table that they are not ready to pay us proper wages for our workers for the price provided to our sports, we will show them how valuable our wages are.”
“Our domestic contractors are working at a minimum wage with no benefit, which has no compensation,” said Union Member and Associate QA Tester Ober Lichfield. “Workers are choosing not to start families because of the uncertainty of financial matters. We have issued numerous titles in a completely remote work. When will it be enough?”
The Union said that despite the vote to give the strike authority Blusky It is currently not demanding boycott of Zenimax’s Elder Scarrels Online MMO.
Although the Zenimx workers do not clearly think that agreements are moving forward, Microsoft, probably, in a statement to the PC gamer, it seems different, saying that “has made” progress. “
“Our quality assurance team is an integral part of our business and our players are the key to our ability to provide sports,” said a Microsoft spokesman. “We respect the team’s right to express their views and are deeply determined to reach a fair and equal resolution recognizing the team’s contribution. There has been considerable progress during the negotiations, and the majority of the topics on the table have reached temporary agreements.
“We have suggested a package that we believe is appropriate. If accepted, it will immediately increase the compensation, even more strong benefits and the company’s hybrid model will be set up in the 3 -day office. We look forward to continuing this progress during the negotiations.”
The vote to give the strike authority does not mean that the strike is indispensable or self -esteem, just because the leadership of the union is a green light to ask for someone. A CWA representative made it clear that the workers have to decide when to start the strike and under what terms, and also to determine the length of the process-whether it be a one-day walkout or ongoing strike, for example-and its terms of eliminating it.
If this happens, a Xenimx strike will mark another active strike in the sports industry. The SAG-Aftra voice actor has been on a strike for eight months, which has demanded reservations for its members against the growing use of AI in video games.
