ZeniMax Online Studios has announced that it’s unionized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), joining thousands of other tech and video game workers in the country.
ZOS United-CWA compromises the majority of video game workers at ZeniMax Online Studios, which is best known for Elder Scrolls Online. In fact, 461 workers are included in the union. The workers are spread out around the country, including Maryland, California, New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Workers include web developers, designers, graphic artists, and engineers. The goal of the group is to improve workplace conditions, particularly in regards to the following:
- Job Security
- Protections Against AI
- Better Benefits and Wages
ZOS United-CWA is also unionizing with the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, a part of CWA in tech, games, and other digital industries (CODE-CWA). Since 2020, CODE-CWA has helped organize unions at Microsoft, Apple, and plenty of other companies.
CODE-CWA had its own awards last night to mirror The Game Awards, where it recognized ZOS United-CWA as Newcomer Union of the Year. Other awards included First Video Game Workers to Ratify a Union Contract (Tender Claws Workers) and First Group of Workers to Organize Across the US and Canada (Bethesda Game Studios).
Microsoft has officially recognized that ZeniMax Online Studios has unionized.
ZOS United-CWA member John Hartzell (principal economy designer) shared his thoughts:
“Today, I’m intensely proud of my coworkers at ZeniMax Online Studios who are joining thousands of video game workers exercising their power to bring more stability to the industry. Regardless of your studio, your title, or where you’re from, unions work to benefit us all.”
Other members had more to say, including Alyssa Gobelle (senior motion graphics artist):
“By coming together and forming a union, we’re able to take a powerful step forward in ensuring a better future for ourselves and for our families, to create protections against layoffs and workplace exploitation, and to provide additional layers of support for workers beyond what FMLA and workplace policies already provide. At ZeniMax, unions belong here.”
…and Billy Eichner (encounter designer):
“I’m excited to finally see workers have a say in the workplace. Other employers have made a choice to undermine and attack workers who want to collectively improve their working conditions. However, with a union at ZeniMax, we can build a community where we have each other’s backs. We already work together to make great games. Why not work together to make a great workplace?”
For more news on unions in the industry, check out how World of Warcraft developers formed a wall-to-wall union and how SAG-AFTRA started striking because of AI protections.
