The number of union members at Microsoft's video game subsidiary continues to grow, with the latest additions being the largest to date. Approximately 600 Activision quality assurance professionals are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), making it the largest recognized union in the U.S. video game industry. They were also the first Activision employees organized under the agreement between Microsoft and CWA. As you may recall, Microsoft has decided to respect Activision Blizzard employees' right to unionize as part of its efforts to secure regulatory approval for its $68.7 billion acquisition of the video game developer. Agreed.
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said Microsoft kept its promise to let workers decide for themselves whether to unionize. Part of Microsoft's commitment when it agreed to enter into a deal with the CWA included taking a neutral approach during union activities, and the company did not allow the CWA to interfere or influence people's votes. He said he would not give anything.
Another element of the agreement is to give employees access to a “streamlined process, supported by innovative technology, for choosing whether to join a union,” which includes This includes eliminating the need to apply for elections to the relevant committees. In this case, workers simply had to sign a union recognition card or vote online.according to new york times, 390 workers voted in favor of unionizing, while eight opposed. About 200 more people did not vote.
Microsoft also authorized the formation of a union in early 2023 by Bethesda owner ZeniMax and 300 workers at ZeniMax, one of the video game industry's largest video game subsidiaries at the time. These workers also unionized under a simpler process made possible by the company's agreement with the CWA. By the end of the year, Microsoft agreed to hire her 77 temporary QA contractors as full-time unionized employees at ZeniMax. This was a welcome victory for workers in an industry plagued by layoffs.
