Developers at Bethesda Game Studios have successfully formed a union, the first Microsoft-owned game studio to achieve this. The union is known as OneBGS and was formed with the support of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a national labor organization known for its efforts in collective bargaining within the tech and gaming sectors.
This established union comprises a wide range of roles including artists, engineers, programmers and designers, making it a wall-to-wall union.
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Bethesda Game Studios developers voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). This unionization effort included 241 developers from three Bethesda offices in the US, Rockville, Maryland; Austin, Texas; and Dallas, Texas.
A fourth Bethesda Game Studios location in Montreal had previously voted to unionize with CWA’s Canadian branch in June.
Microsoft which acquired Bethesda’s parent company ZeniMax Media in 2021 has recognized the union without opposition.
Bethesda Game Studios now under Microsoft’s ownership has achieved full unionization with 241 workers joining the CWA.
This makes it the first Microsoft-owned game studio to be fully unionized. The union encompasses a group of employees including artists, engineers, programmers and designers, forming a wall-to-wall union that covers various job titles and development teams.
The CWA announced that 241 workers across Bethesda’s offices in Dallas, Rockville and Austin have joined the union.
These employees will be represented by CWA Local 2108 in Maryland and CWA Local 6215 in Texas. Microsoft has officially recognized the union, a voluntary step that avoids the need for an election and makes the way for contract negotiations.
The company reiterated its support for employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace and committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the CWA.
Mandi Parker, a senior system designer at Bethesda expressed her excitement, highlighting that the unionization effort will positively shape working conditions, lives and the company as a whole.
The CWA’s Catalina Brennan-Gatica addressed that this is the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio representing all eligible job titles rather than just one type of worker.
This development follows the unionization of Bethesda Game Studios Montreal in late June and approximately 300 quality assurance workers at Zenimax, Bethesda’s parent company, earlier.
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It is part of a trend in the video game industry where workers seek better protection against mass layoffs and improved working conditions.
Other unionization efforts in the industry include unions at Sega of America and Activision Blizzard.
Unlike many other gaming industry unions that are primarily composed of quality assurance (QA) departments, this union encompasses a broad spectrum of job roles.
The union’s formation was driven by a desire for improved working conditions, fair representation and collective bargaining power.
The unionization at Bethesda Game Studios is part of a trend of unionization within the gaming industry.
ZeniMax QA workers had unionized in the previous year and similar movements have been seen at other major companies like Activision Blizzard.
The formation of OneBGS has been met with support from various quarters within the gaming community and labor organizations.
It is seen as a positive development that could inspire similar actions across other studios and companies in the industry.
The union’s success in negotiating a fair contract with Microsoft will be closely watched and could set a benchmark for unionization efforts.
The gaming industry has seen a rise in unionization efforts as workers seek protection against mass layoffs and advocate for better working conditions. Sega of America and Activision Blizzard’s QA workers have also unionized.
The union seeks to negotiate a fair contract that addresses key issues such as job security, working conditions and equitable treatment.
By uniting under the CWA the developers at Bethesda Game Studios hope to set a new standard for labor practices in the gaming industry.
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