Bethesda Softworks QA union authorizes strike as negotiations with Microsoft continue

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The labor union representing numerous QA testers at ZeniMax Media, who work on Bethesda Softworks games, has chosen to approve a potential strike action while ongoing talks with Microsoft are underway.

I’ve just learned from a recent press release that over 94% of union members have granted authorization for a potential strike. The union is currently in negotiations with Microsoft, advocating for improved compensation, flexible remote work opportunities, and an end to the practice of outsourcing work without prior notice – issues that directly affect them.

Previously, union workers staged a one-day strike in protest against Microsoft failing to acknowledge the need for remote work possibilities.

Skylar Hinnant, a senior QA tester and member of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA Local 2108, stated, ‘We aren’t hesitant to leverage our union strength to maintain the production of excellent games.’ We all desire to keep working. Our hope is that Microsoft will grant us this opportunity by upholding dignity and fairness for everyone involved, by negotiating our first union contract.

At ZeniMax Media, Quality Assurance testers are involved in testing a variety of games, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, along with the upcoming title, DOOM: The Dark Ages.

As a tech enthusiast myself, I’ve found it shocking that even with our colossal stature as one of the world’s leading corporations, we’ve been compelled to persistently advocate for what should be considered the absolute basics. It’s merely reasonable for a multi-trillion dollar company like ours to ensure its employees are paid a wage sufficient for living comfortably. Yet, during negotiations, Microsoft seems to view our demands as excessive rather than essential. This is the perspective of Aubrey Litchfield, a member of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA Local 2108 and an associate QA tester.

Over the last few years, I’ve witnessed a trend: several unions have sprung up in studios owned by tech giant Microsoft, such as Bethesda Game Studios – renowned for their epic titles like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield. Not long ago, another union was established at Activision User Research.

Recently, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) established a union that encompasses laborers across the United States and Canada. This union currently boasts more than 350 members.

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2025-04-01 22:39