This month, three hundred video game workers at fourt game studios owned by Microsoft are voting on whether to unionize with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The studios involved in the effort, which all belong to the holding company ZeniMax Media, recently acquired by Microsoft, include Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks in Rockville, Maryland, ZeniMax Online Studios in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and id Software in Dallas, Texas.

ZeniMax Media developers, like game workers across the industry, complain of overwork during the “crunch” time that occurs as games approach their release dates, inadequate wages, and a lack of input into important management decisions. Jacobin’s Sara Wexler spoke with quality assurance (QA) testers at Bethesda Softworks and id Software about their organizing efforts and what they’re hoping for from a union.