Potential Zenimax Strike Approved By Over 94% Of The Union

As the Zenimax union draws near the two-year mark of ongoing negotiations with Microsoft, they’re preparing for the possibility of a full-on strike. In a recent vote, over 94% of the unions’ more than 300 members voted to authorize a call for a strike should bargaining break down.

The union has been in talks the last two years in an attempt to complete its first contract. However, they have yet to achieve that milestone. As is noted in the strike authorization announcement, the union workers would love to be working, but “underpayment and costly RTO initiatives have caused many...to put [their] lives on pause” as what they are paid doesn’t account for the cost of living where their jobs are located.

Microsoft commented on the potential strike to The Verge, stating that the “quality assurance team is an integral part of [their] business”. They go on to note that “there has been substantial progress over the course of the negotiations, reaching tentative agreements on a majority of the topics as the table”, and that they’ve presented a package proposal they believe is fair” – which includes compensation increases and “more robust benefits”.

That said, if the union is authorizing a strike, the package hasn’t quite hit the mark for them. Hopefully, a deal will be reached sooner rather than later so that the workers can do their jobs and feel secure.