Union Workers At Bethesda Have Gone On Strike

As a longtime follower of the gaming industry and a passionate Bethesda fan, this recent news about the union strike at Bethesda has left me feeling a bit concerned and hopeful all at once. I’ve witnessed many changes within the gaming world over the years, and it’s always disheartening to see such a significant dispute unfold.

Union employees at Bethesda have gone on strike across multiple locations in the United States.

Based on a recent report by Inverse, approximately 300 employees have staged a walkout in both Maryland and Texas. They are protesting because the company has allegedly failed to address their concerns about remote work and the recent outsourcing of quality assurance, an action that reportedly contravenes previous union agreements.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed they’re considering a change in how many external QA testers they hire versus full-time employees within our union. In simpler terms, it seems like they might be aiming to reduce the proportion of outsourced testers compared to the number of us, the full-timers, in the team.

The largest U.S. video game union is advocating for a more adaptable remote work arrangement as well, due to employee requests for such an option being rejected.

Rhyanna Eichner, Test Lead at Bethesda Quality Assurance, shared with Inverse that the company has repeatedly presented their initial proposal to us, implying a stalemate in our discussions with the union. It seems clear that the strategies we’ve employed for mobilization have not yielded the desired results.

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Juniper Dowell, a senior quality assurance tester, expressed to the media that while striking isn’t enjoyable or perfect, there’s a sense of accomplishment in taking tangible physical steps to push for improved work conditions. She hopes that they can persuade them to stop delaying and come to a negotiation table instead.

In an attempt to gather more information, we’ve contacted both Microsoft and Bethesda. If they provide us with a response, it will be included in this article.

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