Developers at Bethesda Game Studios Dallas, Rockville, and Austin have voted to form an all-encompassing union to set a “new standard” for the games industry. Known as OneBGS USA, the newly-formed union will work with Microsoft to pen a new contract for employees, to better protect their workplace rights and security after a year of significant changes.
“As a democratic organisation, we seek to empower the collective wishes of our studios’ workers; having a safe, sustainable, and equitable work environment for all,” OneBGS USA announced on X. “Having a proper seat at the discussion table allows us to turn those wishes into reality.”
First on the agenda for the union is pushing for increased job security. The games industry is currently very volatile, and countless studios have recently initiated sweeping employees layoffs, including Microsoft. The union will also focus on transparency around compensation, and the “flexibility to continue creating the games we love.”
Notably, OneBGS USA is one of the first all-encompassing game industry unions formed under the Communication Workers of America (CWA) banner. It will include developers, as well as artists, engineers, programmers, designers, and more. This union will exist alongside other Bethesda unions, ZeniMax Workers United and One BGS Montreal.
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In recent years, unionisation amongst game developers has become more common, for a variety of reasons. Mass layoffs are announced nearly every week, for one thing, and job security is no longer a certainty. That’s not to mention ongoing issues with pay disparity and alleged worker treatment in some organisations.
After years of this uncertainty, video game workers have taken a stance against exploitation, forging a path for stronger workplace protections. In the case of OneBGS USA, it aims to “advocate for the betterment of every developer” at Bethesda Game Studios, as a force for implementing change.
The union has been officially recognised by Microsoft, and it’s now working on its first unionised contract with the company. It aims to create better conditions for workers at Bethesda, to secure jobs and workplace rights as the games industry battles its toughest conditions yet.
