Bethesda makes history in the video game industry after becoming the first Microsoft Game Studio to fully unionize with more than 200 workers taking part.
The studio is responsible for various popular titles, such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. But now, the company has unionized with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Bethesda Game Studios Union
The development involves 241 workers, including artists, engineers, programmers, and designers. They have all signed union authorization cards or "indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal.
The news, initially revealed by a CWA press release, has been recognized by Microsoft as it has already recognized unions previously formed by Activision QA workers and ZeniMax Studios QA workers, according to The Verge.
The CWA also describes the latest unionization as "the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio." This means that all eligible job titles will be represented by the company instead of just a single type of employee.
The development comes after Bethesda Games Studios Montreal's unionization in late June and the unionization of about 300 quality assurance workers within ZeniMax.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, CWA said it was ecstatic to announce the news of Bethesda's unionization, said IGN.
Following this, the new union will now negotiate a contract with Microsoft for the benefit of the workers involved. Senior system designer Mandi Parker also said via a press release that they are excited to join the movement that is sweeping across the video game industry.
He added that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace as well as securing a protected voice on the job. Parker also noted that they are thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract for workers.
A First in Video Games History
The newly formed union, which calls itself OneBGS, said, "As a democratic organization, we seek to empower the collective wishes of our studios' workers." This includes a safe, sustainable, and equitable work environment for everyone, according to PCGamer.
This also marks the latest effort as unionization is becoming a growing trend within the video games industry.
This is because workers are now increasingly looking to secure protection against mass layoffs that many companies have recently pulled off. Earlier this year, Sega of America's union ratified a contract.
Microsoft had previously said that it would not make any efforts to block a potential Activision Blizzard union. This is something that seemingly extends to Bethesda Game Studios as well.
