As tensions continue to rise with the recent layoffs in the games industry, Bethesda, over time, have accumulated America’s largest games union, attracting about 300 quality assurance workers. Although exact numbers and information was shared, the union has stated that their intention are to limit the number of outsourced jobs by Microsoft in comparison to the number of full-time employees.
A quality assurance test leader by the name of Rhyanna Eichner spoke to Inverse just before the strike, saying:
I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I think it’s going to be a fun event. I know that sounds weird, but we’re all really looking forward to coming together and spending time together. Everybody understands that this needs to happen. This is what needs to be done to move on. We’re all just kind of ready for it.
Eichner would go on to speak on how important the union’s resolve needs to be:
I know that sounds weird, but we’re all really looking forward to coming together and spending time together. Everybody understands that this needs to happen. This is what needs to be done to move on. We’re all just kind of ready for it.
They have continually given us their first proposal again and again, and it’s become obvious that our different mobilization tactics have not worked
According to Juniper Dowell, a senior quality assurance tester, many employees would be forced to move or find new work if they were forced to come into an office five days a week due to being hired in a remote role:
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. Hopefully, we can convince them to stop dragging their feet and meet us at the table.
“We respect our employees’ rights to express their point of view as they have done today.” Becca Dougherty, a spokesperson for Microsoft, wrote in an email, “We will continue to listen and address their concerns at the bargaining table.”