Union employees at Bethesda have gone on strike across multiple locations in the United States.
According to a new report from Inverse, “hundreds” of employees have walked off the job in both Maryland and Texas. It’s claimed that the strike is due to the company not addressing remote work concerns as well as the recent outsourcing of quality assurance. The latter being something the union never agreed to.
The report claims that the union is “looking to limit the percentage of quality assurance testers the company outsources in comparison to the number of full-time workers present in its bargaining unit”.
The union, which is the largest video games union in the United States, is also looking for a more flexible remote work policy after employees are being denied remote work requests.
“They have continually given us their first proposal again and again, and it’s become obvious that our different mobilization tactics have not worked,” Bethesda Quality Assurance Test Lead Rhyanna Eichner told Inverse regarding the company’s negotiations with the union.
RELATED: Raven Software Union Files Complaint Against Microsoft And Activision
“Striking isn’t fun or ideal, but there’s a satisfaction in having a concrete physical action we can do to fight for better work conditions,” Senior Quality Assurance Tester Juniper Dowell told the outlet. “Hopefully, we can convince them to stop dragging their feet and meet us at the table.”
GPlayr has reached out to Microsoft and Bethesda for comment on the strike. Should a response be received, it will be added to this story.
What do you think of the Bethesda strike? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official GPlayr forums.
For more GPlayr, read what Xbox boss Phil Spencer said about a future Xbox handheld console. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.