Bethesda Game Studios Montreal has announced its intention to form a trade union with the help of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Canada.
In addition to the general announcement, studio workers explained their reasons for seeking certification from the Quebec Labor Board.
Bethesda Game Studios Montreal Statement
“As a union, we will strive to make BGS a supportive workplace that fosters creativity and talent” they said. “This will allow us to continue creating some of the best video games in the industry within the studios we all love.”
They continued: “Having a seat at the table will ensure job security and improve transparency, responsibility, flexibility and more. Our goal is to ensure that everyone is compensated fairly for their work and the value they provide.”
The formation of a trade unionthey said, will allow them to “push for changes that reflect the needs and desires of all developers.”
This unionization effort comes after similar situations at other Microsoft Gaming studios. The Redmond company communicated for the first time in 2022 its commitment to remain neutral in employee unionization initiatives during its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making the agreement with the CWA well before the acquisition was finalized in October 2023 .
This agreement was first put to the test in January 2023, when over 300 employees of ZeniMax Media (the parent company of publisher Bethesda Softworks) filed to unionize, succeeding without any interference from Microsoft.
Microsoft has recently remained neutral even when 600 Activision Central Quality Assurance workers they unionized. He also developed an ethical standard for the use of AI in game development with ZeniMax employees and hired some Starfield testers as full-time employees, when this role is normally temporary.
