Maryland
Maryland-based Bethesda Game Studios employees vote to unionize
BETHESDA, Md. (DC News Now) — Employees at Bethesda Game Studios – the company behind award-winning games such as “Skyrim” and the “Fallout” series – voted to unionize, joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA),
The workers, consisting of 241 developers, signed a union authorization card or indicated they wanted union representation, according to CWA. Microsoft recognized the union, making it the first wall-to-wall union at a Microsoft video game studio.
“We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry. It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job,” stated Bethesda Game Studios’ Senior System Designer, Mandi Parker, in a press release.
“We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole,” she continued.
The workers are joining CWA Locals 2108 in Maryland and 6215 in Texas.
Bethesda Game Studios workers in Montreal also filed for union recognition with the Quebec Labor Relations Board just last month, and will be represented by CWA Canada.
The studio has locations in Bethesda, Quebec, Austin, Texas and Dallas, Texas. Its newest game, “Starfield,” garnered 10 million players within three weeks of its release in 2023, according to the company.
Maryland schools made nation-leading strides in their recovery from students’ learning loss in the pandemic, data show.
Maryland schools made nation-leading strides in their recovery from students’ learning loss in the pandemic, according to new data.
They ranked third in the nation in their students’ reading recovery rates, and were fifth in math recovery, according to the 2025 Education Scorecard from Harvard and Stanford Universities and Dartmouth College.
D.C. led the U.S. in math and reading recovery.
The data was presented at the Maryland State Board of Education meeting Thursday.
Trish Brennan-Gac, executive director of literacy nonprofit Maryland READS, said the state board is correct to celebrate gains in reading, but proficiency is “nowhere near where we need to be.”
“It is not that we are No. 3-ranked in reading proficiency,” she told WTOP. “It’s a rate of change, and we are making a faster rate of change,” than most school districts nationally.
Brennan-Gac was at the meeting to ask that the state board consider ways to reduce the use of technology in classroom instruction and support a return to print and textbooks in schools.
“This is no longer a fringe concern. It is a growing movement, and it’s not about social media and phones,” she told the board.
Brennan-Gac said the board and Maryland schools superintendent Carey Wright can take a “visible meaningful leadership role.”
“You can develop transition guidance and funding pathways for districts that are ready to move now, and send a clear signal to the field that Maryland prioritizes developmentally appropriate instruction aligned to brain research that shows how books, not tech-based platforms, are effective in wiring kids’ brains for reading,” she said.
The Maryland State Department of Education has issued guidance to school districts on the use of cellphones in schools, and this year issued guidance on the use of artificial intelligence. In both instances, the state has made clear that it leaves implementation of policies to individual school districts.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
-
Seattle, WA7 minutes agoMild weekend weather in Seattle before 80s return
-
San Diego, CA10 minutes agoWashington Nationals vs San Diego Padres Game Thread
-
Milwaukee, WI15 minutes agoBrewers score: Sproat struggles in start, Astros win in Houston
-
Atlanta, GA22 minutes agoFeds seek Atlanta judge’s recusal amid sex affair inquiry
-
Minneapolis, MN25 minutes agoFriends, family and community gather to honor Officer Jamal Mitchell with street dedication
-
Indianapolis, IN37 minutes agoIndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist had the busiest week after winning the Indianapolis 500
-
Pittsburg, PA40 minutes agoDirt bike rider killed in collision with bus in Homewood
-
Augusta, GA45 minutes agoVolunteers come together to clean up Augusta neighborhood
