Hundreds rally at Xbox HQ to protest layoffs: Ars inside
▼ Summary
– Hundreds of Bethesda and Zenimax Online Studios employees protested layoffs at Zenimax headquarters in Maryland, one of five rallies across the U.S. and Canada.
– Union organizers and employees used signs, speeches, and songs to show solidarity against job cuts that have hit development and QA teams.
– Bethesda technical producer Nathan Hahn stated the protest aimed to show that workers are not okay with the layoffs and want Xbox to know.
– The union’s main demand is for Microsoft to resume contract negotiations for uncontracted Bethesda employees, after a prior proposal on layoff protections was ignored.
– CWA Vice President Mike Davis warned that if Microsoft does not negotiate, they will continue to face public opposition from workers.
Hundreds of employees from Bethesda Game Studios and Zenimax Online Studios, joined by supporters, gathered outside Zenimax’s headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, today in sweltering near-100°F heat. The lunchtime protest targeted sweeping layoffs across Xbox, marking one of five coordinated rallies organized by Zenimax Workers United and its parent union, the Communication Workers of America, at offices in Texas, California, and Montreal.
Protesters carried signs reading “Layoffs… layoffs never change” and “Our players deserve better,” while union organizers and workers energized the crowd with speeches and songs. The central theme was solidarity and a determined pushback against job cuts that participants say have severely weakened their development and quality assurance teams.
“It’s about us building our movement and making sure that we get seen and we’re visible,” said Nathan Hahn, a Bethesda technical producer and volunteer union organizer, speaking with Ars. “Because we want to make sure that we’re not okay with these layoffs and that Xbox knows.”
A key demand from the union is that Microsoft return to negotiations and resume contract talks with the remaining uncontracted members of Bethesda Game Studios. This follows a separate agreement reached with QA testers last year that included guaranteed severance for laid-off employees. “We had a reduction in force proposal on the table for months, and they ignored it,” Hahn explained. “They never got back to us. So instead, they’ve chosen to do layoffs without bargaining with us, and that’s something we’re fighting back against.”
CWA District 213 Vice President Mike Davis addressed the crowd directly, issuing a clear challenge to Microsoft leadership. “They can either come meet at the table, or they can meet us in the street,” Davis said. “They can meet us anywhere they want, but they’re gonna fight with us.”
(Source: Ars Technica)
