There’s no shortage of game industry woes this year. We’ve seen several studios close or have layoffs. One of the biggest video game unions will soon strike Bethesda as they are waiting to find their remote work issues that have arisen in recent years. Here’s what we know so far about the situation.
Thanks to a report from Inverse, we’re learning that Bethesda will see hundreds of its quality assurance workers step away from the job. This is due to a strike underway as Microsoft continues to bargain with the group over remote work concerns. The report noted that several employees were hired when remote work was more common. However, now it looks like Microsoft is outsourcing the quality assurance work without any agreement with the union.
It’s not known who was getting this outsourced work, but it’s enough to warrant a strike to cease this action from going on. As it stands, it looks like Microsoft is pushing for employees to show up in the office. However, that is not possible for many, and it’s left some worried that they may have to move or find a new place of employment. One quality assurance test lead, Rhyanna Eichner, spoke with Inverse, alerting the publication that they are looking forward to tomorrow as everyone is coming together in a move that needs to happen.
This strike attempts to get Microsoft to stop dragging its feet on the matter. If demands are met, the union can limit the percentage of quality assurance testers the company is outsourcing compared to the full-time workers. Additionally, this would further address the concerns over the remote work proposal. Now, just how well this will go over remains to be seen, but it would at least send a clear message to Microsoft that the union is tired of waiting for Microsoft to sit down at the bargaining table.
