Here is some exciting news! Everything takes place in the United States where nearly 300 developers from ZeniMax Studios in charge of quality control were able to form what is the first union within Microsoft in partnership with the Communications Workers of America.
While several tech giants got involved explicitly to prevent such internal actions, Microsoft chose another path, in line with the company’s comments since the Activision-Blizzard takeover announcement.
Christopher Sheltonpresident of the CWA, welcomed this progress ” history ».
When workers are able to join a union without interference from the company, they are able to make their voices heard in the workplace. We are pleased to support ZeniMax’s quality assurance workers as they join the growing video game labor movement in the United States. These workers are making history, joining the wave of games and technology workers at Activision, Alphabet and dozens of other companies who have organized with CODE-CWA to build a better workplace.
Of course, the man also praised the neutrality of Microsoft in this process which kept its commitments:
We commend Microsoft for remaining neutral throughout this process and letting workers decide for themselves whether they want a union. The company is delivering on the commitments it made in its Labor Principles earlier this year, while sending a resounding message to the video game industry: the right to freely and fairly choose union representation must be in the hands of workers, not management.
With this first union within the giant, it can serve as a reference for other teams and studios to assert their rights and sustain working conditions that put employees at the center.
