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Union says Microsoft will recognize unit
of videogame testers
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[December 06, 2022]
By Daniel Wiessner
(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp will voluntarily recognize a union of about
300 videogame testers at subsidiary ZeniMax Studios if they vote to
unionize, a first for the company in the United States, the
Communication Workers of America union (CWA) said on Monday. |
A person walks past a Microsoft store in the
Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 20, 2022.
REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo |
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ZeniMax employees at four locations in Maryland and Texas began
voting through an online platform on Friday. The company owns
major game franchises including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Voluntarily agreeing to bargain with the union would allow
Microsoft to avoid a formal election overseen by the U.S.
National Labor Relations Board and the legal battles that often
ensue.
CWA President Christopher Shelton applauded Microsoft's move in
a statement, saying "when workers have the opportunity to join a
union without company interference, it empowers them to have
their voices heard in the workplace."
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company in June entered into an agreement with the CWA to
remain neutral in union organizing campaigns at Activision
Blizzard Inc, which Microsoft is seeking to purchase for $69
billion. The proposed acquisition is facing antitrust scrutiny
from U.S. and European regulators.
Game testers at Activision units Blizzard Albany and Raven
Software have voted this year to join unions amid claims by the
CWA that the company has threatened and retaliated against union
supporters. Activision has denied wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by
Marguerita Choy)
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