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"They want us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear" - Bethesda union members organise protest in response to Xbox layoffs
GamesIndustry.biz • • technology
Key Points:
- Union members at Bethesda Game Studios plan to strike on July 15 in response to mass layoffs at Xbox, with marches scheduled outside studios in Montreal, Rockville, Austin, and Texas.
- The layoffs affected 440 union members across Bethesda and ZeniMax, including significant cuts at Id Software, BGS Dallas, BGS Austin, ZeniMax Online Studios, and ZeniMax Media.
- OneBGS accuses Microsoft and Bethesda of using a shift to a franchise-based business model to avoid legally bargaining the layoffs with the union, emphasizing their right to negotiate the impact through "Effects Bargaining."
- Bethesda CEO Jill Braff cited a focus on aligning talent and resources around key franchises as the reason for the restructuring, while the union demands preferential transfers, stronger severance, extended healthcare, and recall rights for affected workers.
- OneBGS, formed in 2024 as part of the Communication Workers of America, is mobilizing union members to remain visible and unified in fighting the layoffs and protecting worker rights.
