© Archyde.com. Microsoft logo in a photo from Archyde.com archive.
(Archyde.com) – A group of regarding 300 video game testers at Microsoft Corp’s Zenimax Studios voted to unionize on Tuesday, the Communications Employees Association of America said, making it the tech giant’s first in the United States.
Zenimax employees at four locations in Maryland and Texas voted overwhelmingly to join the union, the union said, without saying how many. ZeniMax owns major game franchises, including Fall Out and The Elder Scrolls.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier, she said she would voluntarily recognize the union if employees voted in favor of forming it.
The voluntary approval allows Microsoft to avoid a formal election that is overseen by the US National Labor Relations Board and the legal battles that often occur.
Christopher Shelton, president of the Association of American Communications Employees, said in a statement that Microsoft has distinguished itself from other technology companies that discourage union campaigning.
Shelton said, “Microsoft is charting a different path that will enhance the company’s culture and its ability to serve its customers, and it must be a model for the sector and the regulators.”
(Prepared by Muhammad Ali Farag for the Arabic Bulletin – Edited by Mahmoud Salama)
