I agree it is not extortion. Extortion typically requires the threat of unlawful force. If I way "Pay me $100 not to picket your company" and I start lawfully

I agree it is not extortion. Extortion typically requires the threat of unlawful force. If I way "Pay me $100 not to picket your company" and I start lawfully picketing that's not extortion. Otherwise workers strikes would all be illegal. The larger issue though here is that of a contract. The company has in essence said "we want you to stick around and so we are giving you an incentive of stock options which vest on such and such a schedule." Later they are saying "give up what we gave you or leave so we can take them back." It's this choice here which says clearly "we are going back on our contracts with you." A close example might be this "We are giving you a raise and will pay you retro pay next month when this goes through but you have to work fewer hours at your hourly wage" and then the next month saying "sorry, no retro pay for you." I think this would be a fun case. And now that class action cases have taken a few serious setbacks in the courts, it seems to me that Zynga really should be getting sued by lots and lots of employees in individual lawsuits..... One piranha may be good for dinner, but don't wade into a swarm of them.