Employees at Bethesda Game Studios announced on Friday that they have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, marking a major milestone for Microsoft’s first unionized game studio.
Microsoft establishes first union
Known for popular games such as starry sky, The Elder Scrollsand fall outBethesda is now leading a growing movement in the games industry fighting for better working conditions and stronger collective representation. A total of 241 staff members in Maryland and Texas, including artists, engineers, programmers and designers, came together under CWA’s leadership.
“It’s clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and having a protected voice on the job,” senior systems designer Mandi Parker said in the release. “We are pleased to be on track and win a fair contract, demonstrating that our unity is a source of real power that positively shapes our working conditions, lives and the company as a whole.”
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Bethesda’s unionization is part of a broader trend in the video game industry. Earlier this year, quality assurance staff at ZeniMax Studios, Bethesda’s parent company, formed what was then the industry’s largest union, with 300 members. This number was quickly surpassed by the 600 quality assurance staff at Activision, another Microsoft-owned company, who also joined CWA.
Microsoft has officially recognized the union, including employees in Bethesda’s Maryland office as CWA Locals 2108 and employees in Texas as CWA Locals 6215. .
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