Last year, quality-assurance workers at Bethesda and ZeniMax studios formed ZeniMax Workers United, the largest certified video game union in the United States. Now that union is putting its collective power to the test in a brief strike against Bethesda and ZeniMax’s parent company, Microsoft.
ZeniMax Workers United has been attempting to negotiate a deal with Microsoft over remote-work requirements while also limiting the number of outsourced QA workers who can be brought in on Bethesda’s projects. The union didn’t say who Microsoft is outsourcing QA work to, but it accused the company of ignoring requests to negotiate.
“They have continually given us their first proposal again and again, and it’s become obvious that our different mobilization tactics have not worked,” QA test lead Rhyanna Eichnersaid told Inverse.