ZeniMax Online Studios workers form their own union

Employees at another video game studio have organized their own union. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) made the announcement late Thursday statement 461 workers work at ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS), a studio based in Maryland The Elder Scrolls Onlinevoted to form the ZOS United-CWA union that includes web developers, designers, engineers and graphics artists by a vote of 395 to 40.

The new union will allow ZeniMax employees to “collectively push for real improvements” in the workplace and provide “job security amid record layoffs, protection from artificial intelligence, and better pay and benefits,” according to a statement from the CWA.

“I’m excited to see workers finally have a say in the workplace,” Billy Eichner, encounter designer and ZOS United-CWA member, said in the release. “We already work together to make great games. Why not work together to create a great workplace?

This is not the first time a group of ZeniMax workers has formed a union. Quality Assurance testing at ZeniMax It unionized in January of 2023, making it the largest union in the gaming industry at the time.

Workers at other major game studios have followed in the footsteps of ZeniMax’s quality assurance workers by forming their own unions. American Sega Unionized workers last March. More than 500 employees who work on blizzard World of Warcraft They voted to form their union over the summer. workers in Bethesda Games Studiosthe developer behind Starfield, The Elder Scrolls and He falls Games, also voted to create a union in July.