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On April 1, 2025, more than 94% of ZeniMax’s unionized quality-assurance bargaining unit voted to authorize union leaders to call a strike during first-contract negotiations with Microsoft. The vote did not mean workers had gone on strike.
What did ZeniMax workers vote for?
ZeniMax Workers United-CWA announced that more than 94% of its bargaining unit voted to authorize union leadership to call a strike if negotiations warranted it. The union represents hundreds of quality-assurance workers through CWA Locals 2100, 2108 and 6215. CWA reported the percentage but did not publish the number of ballots or independent verification of the tally in its April 1 announcement.
This was a strike-authorization vote, not a decision that automatically put employees on strike. It gave union leadership authority to call one; the vote itself was a bargaining signal during talks with Microsoft over the workers’ first contract.
Why were the workers considering a strike?
CWA said negotiations had lasted nearly two years and that members were seeking better wages and workplace improvements. The union cited remote-work options and the outsourcing of in-house QA work as concerns. Those are the union’s stated reasons for the dispute, not findings independently adjudicated in the announcement.
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Zachary Armstrong, a senior QA tester and CWA Local 6215 member, characterized the situation this way: “Underpayment and costly RTO initiatives have caused many of us to put our lives on pause because our income does not match even the rising cost of living in the cities where ZeniMax insists we live and work to maintain employment.”
Did ZeniMax workers actually go on strike?
The April 1 vote did not itself start a strike. It authorized union leadership to call one, and the announcement did not say that a strike had been called. Keep this vote distinct from any other ZeniMax work stoppage or later labor action: the authorization alone does not establish that workers stopped work.
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What happened after the vote?
In May 2025, PC Gamer reported that Microsoft and the union had reached a tentative first-contract agreement after more than two years of bargaining. The report described wage increases, worker protections, grievance procedures and a policy for game credits. A tentative agreement is not, by itself, proof of ratification; the available reporting does not establish whether workers ratified a final contract.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did the union say about the negotiations?
Skylar Hinnant, a senior QA tester and CWA Local 2108 member, said: “We’re not afraid to use our union power to ensure that we can keep making great games. All of us want to be working. We hope that Microsoft will allow us to do so with dignity and fairness to all by securing a first contract with our union.”
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CWA’s announcement was the primary account of the vote. It did not include a direct Microsoft statement about this specific announcement. A separate NLRB page records an allegation and filing, including a July 15, 2026 filing alleging refusal to bargain and bad-faith bargaining; an allegation is not a Board finding or proof of wrongdoing.
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