Employees at Bethesda Game Studios, a division of Microsoft known for developing the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, are unionizing with the Communication Workers of America (CWA).
This move follows the unionization of quality assurance testers at Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax, last year, marking Microsoft’s first official union in the U.S. The CWA has highlighted that Bethesda’s new union is notable as it encompasses all roles within the studio, including artists, engineers, programmers, and designers.
The CWA has announced that the new union will represent 241 workers who have either signed a union card or expressed their desire to join through an online portal. Microsoft has recognized this union voluntarily, which helps avoid the need for a formal election and sets the stage for contract negotiations to begin.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the company’s support for employees’ rights to choose their representation and committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations with the CWA. Microsoft’s willingness to recognize the union and enter negotiations reflects a cooperative approach to labor relations.
Mandi Parker, a senior system designer at Bethesda, expressed enthusiasm about the union’s formation, emphasizing the benefits of increased workplace democracy and employee representation. This development aligns with broader trends in the video game industry, where unionization efforts are gaining momentum.