The layoffs at one of your studios most able to ship games is a bonkers, stupid decision; but pivoting Obsidian to making a new Fallout game is a good business decision if you don’t care about what your creatives feel led to create.
The layoffs at one of your studios most able to ship games is a bonkers, stupid decision; but pivoting Obsidian to making a new Fallout game is a good business decision if you don’t care about what your creatives feel led to create.
Anecdotally, I was illegally fired by Microsoft in December 2024 because I helped form a massive union earlier that year. I want my job back because I want a union contract.
I have friends at Zenimax that stayed because they have a union contract. There are currently 14 unions at Microsoft actively negotiating for their first contract. The thousands of people who are protected by a union stay because they have a union.
I’ve been laid off from Microsoft before (you just collect unemployment until they hire back in three months. No union) but I have a feeling these are more permanent layoffs.
Being a part of a union is absolutely a good reason to stay. If it guarantees you a paycheck.
There are several ways a union protects jobs. Because of certain rights during contract negotiations, not a single job was lost at any of the unions that are currently in negotiations.
During layoffs with unions, the company is required to bargain for affects to the workers, which sometimes reduces the amount of people that are actually out of a job.
I’m still friends and organize with Microsoft workers, and there are rumors swirling that parts of the layoffs may constitute Unfair Labor Practices at units with unions. This can only be caught because of workers that are also dedicated to fighting for their union.