Workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios have voted to form the tech giant’s first union in the US.
Microsoft agreed to recognize the group after a “vast majority” of workers at the video game production company signaled their support for the plan, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union said.
ZeniMax owns popular games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
It follows a surge in union effort in the US.
Apple, Amazon and Google are among the other US companies that have seen industrial action in recent years as workers demand more from employers amid rising living costs.
Union campaigns have traditionally drawn fierce opposition from companies, the CWA said.
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“Other video game and technology giants have made a conscious choice to attack, undermine and demoralize their own employees when they form a union,” said CWA President Chris Shelton.
“Microsoft is charting a different course that will strengthen its culture and ability to serve its customers, and which should serve as a model for the industry and a blueprint for regulators,” added Mr. Shelton.
ZeniMax Studios, the company behind popular first-person shooter DOOM, is the first Microsoft US studio to secure union representation and will boast the largest group of unionized quality assurance testers at any US game studio, the CWA said.
The group will represent approximately 300 quality assurance professionals in offices in Maryland and Texas.
Organizers said they hoped a union allowing collective bargaining on issues such as pay and working conditions would allow them to improve job opportunities and reduce unfair wage practices and overwork in times of crisis.
Voluntarily agreeing to negotiate with unionized employees allows Microsoft to avoid a formal process overseen by the US National Labor Relations Board, which can often be followed by litigation.
The CWA was also involved in union campaigns at gaming company Activision Blizzard. The company has fought the effort.
Last year, Microsoft announced a deal to buy Activision Blizzard, prompting the government to block the deal over competition concerns.
Microsoft had struck a pact with the CWA to remain neutral on labor disputes as part of its effort to rally support for what would be one of the largest mergers in its history.
A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on how the new union could affect the company’s operations.
“We look forward to entering into good faith negotiations as we work towards a collective agreement,” the spokesman said.
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