CWA negotiates new contract for ZeniMax including "substantial" wage increases and a credits policy for QA staff

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) says it has reached a “historic tentative contract agreement” with ZeniMax Media staff at Microsoft.

In a statement, the union calls the deal a “first for the video game industry”, and revealed it had been negotiating for a first contract for “nearly two years”.

“QA workers from across the country continue to lead the charge for industry-wide change,” said Page Branson, Senior II QA Tester and ZeniMax Workers United-CWA bargaining committee member. “Going toe-to-toe with one of the largest corporations in the world isn’t a small feat. This is a monumental victory for all current video game workers and for those that come after.”

The new contract is said to set “new standards for the industry” and includes “substantial across-the-board wage increases as well as new minimum salaries for workers”. It also includes protections against arbitrary dismissal, grievance procedures, and a crediting policy that “clearly acknowledges the QA workers’ contributions to the video games they help create”, as well as a previously announced agreement on how artificial intelligence is introduced and implemented in the workplace.