Hundreds of employees at ZeniMax, publisher of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda, as well as DOOM developer id Software, among others, went on a one-day strike today (November 13), according to reports The reason for the strike was lack of bargaining. Microsoft has criticized issues such as remote working and outsourcing.
ZeniMax Workers United – CWA is a group of about 300 QA developers that formed a union through the Communications Workers of America as early as January 2023. Members of the organization have left the US states of Maryland and Texas ZeniMax Office Locations.
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“Today, we are on strike and we are not afraid to take the necessary steps to ensure Microsoft meets us at the bargaining table on critical issues like remote work options and outsourcing,” ZeniMax Workers United – CWA posted on Twitter.
“We deserve job security and improved working conditions. Hundreds of our members will go on strike in Maryland and Texas tonight from 10 to 6 p.m. to tell Microsoft to stop stalling.”
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Just last month, the CWA filed unfair labor practice charges against ZeniMax, accusing the company of contracting out quality assurance work without notifying the union, something workers feared could be diverted by moving work elsewhere. to weaken the interests of unions and existing employees so that they cannot fight for guarantees from their employers.
iGamesNews has reached out to ZeniMax and Microsoft for comment.
Last month also saw Activision QA developers unionize earlier this year to form the Activision Quality Assurance Alliance – CWA, to hold a protest on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch day against Microsoft’s remote working policy, workers allege that “when workers asked for reasonable Microsoft refused to provide exemptions for employees who disclosed a serious health condition or a doctor’s recommendation to work remotely.”
