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Thread: Who is a tech worker and what does tech organizing look like?
Like most sectors, organizing is informed by legal and political considerations, industrial relations, hierarchies of skills, gender, race, nationality etc..
There are roughly 7 categories of tech work:
Like most sectors, organizing is informed by legal and political considerations, industrial relations, hierarchies of skills, gender, race, nationality etc..
There are roughly 7 categories of tech work:
1. Service workers, mostly subcontracted by big tech
2. Subcontracted office workers (i.e half of Google workforce!)
3. Employees of tech firms, including engineers, product owners, designers, HR etc
4. Gig Economy workers
5. Video games
6. Telecom sector (oldest)
7. Media
2. Subcontracted office workers (i.e half of Google workforce!)
3. Employees of tech firms, including engineers, product owners, designers, HR etc
4. Gig Economy workers
5. Video games
6. Telecom sector (oldest)
7. Media
We were founded in 2014, as a collaboration between software engineers and service cleaning staff in San Francisco.
Tech companies cannot function without security guards, cleaning staff, cafeteria and other services.
Which makes @SVRising one of the first tech unions.
Tech companies cannot function without security guards, cleaning staff, cafeteria and other services.
Which makes @SVRising one of the first tech unions.
As early as 2008, janitors and other service staff struck in Silicon Valley https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Silicon-Valley-janitors-to-strike-today-3283285.php
The first office based tech union is @HCLtechUnion a Google contractor which unionized with @steelworkers. Despite being a different company, they work side by side with Googlers. They formed before Corona, and have continuously won concessions even during the pandemic.
Shortly after @ksr_united made history as the first major tech company to unionize! They're affiliated with @techunion1010 which had another victory today after @EMILYsUnion was voluntarily recognize by their employer 
A number of folks from Tech Workers Coalition and @GameWorkers were present at @CODE_CWA convention earlier this year (pre-Corona feels like forever ago) to discuss strategies and organizing.
@CWAUnion/ @NewsGuild have a long history of organizing telecommunications and media
@CWAUnion/ @NewsGuild have a long history of organizing telecommunications and media
We recently suffered a major setback with #Proposition22 which effectively was the most expensive union busting campaign in California history. In Germany, Spain and other places laws are being made to reclassify gig workers as employees with full rights.
There are so many wonderful groups and academics doing great work. What are your recommendations?
@IAATW_Org @TowardsFairWork
@_drivers_united @GigWorkersRise
@WorkerInfoX @RidersRooVolt @IWGB_CLB
@Connect_IFAT
@IAATW_Org @TowardsFairWork @_drivers_united @GigWorkersRise @WorkerInfoX @RidersRooVolt @IWGB_CLB @Connect_IFAT
If you've been following video games or the #Cyberpunk2077 
fiasco, you'll know video game workers suffer chronic overtime/crunch expectations and poor pay.
@GameWorkers has been doing incredible organising over the years with chapters all over the world.
fiasco, you'll know video game workers suffer chronic overtime/crunch expectations and poor pay. @GameWorkers has been doing incredible organising over the years with chapters all over the world.
In France @stjv_fr made a collective bargaining agreement with @Ubisoft subsidary Annecy
in Sweden @Unionen recently made a collective bargaining agreement with @PdxInteractive
in Sweden @Unionen recently made a collective bargaining agreement with @PdxInteractive
In 2001, German @Telekom_group (which is partly publicly owned and has large union presence with @_verdi) purchased T-Mobile in the US. @CWAUnion even supported it, with expectation that a German union friendly company would be union friendly in the US.
Unfortunately it wasn't.
Unfortunately it wasn't.
In 2008 @CWAUnion and @_verdi launched @TMobileWorkers to put pressure on Shareholders in Germany and USA, to stop their "two faced policy" and respect US worker rights.
This geopolitical nuance is true of Amazon, Google and other multinationals.
https://cwa-union.org/news/entry/t-mobile_is_a_two-faced_union_buster
This geopolitical nuance is true of Amazon, Google and other multinationals.
https://cwa-union.org/news/entry/t-mobile_is_a_two-faced_union_buster
In 2015 @CJR published a sobering report on state of labor reporting, especially in local news rooms. 2020 couldn't be more different.
Newsrooms are rapidly unionizing in US including purely digital ones, thanks to organizing by @newsguild and @WGAEast https://www.cjr.org/analysis/when_longtime_labor_reporter_steven.php
Newsrooms are rapidly unionizing in US including purely digital ones, thanks to organizing by @newsguild and @WGAEast https://www.cjr.org/analysis/when_longtime_labor_reporter_steven.php
We just finished 7 categories of tech organizing, but completely omitted several significant ones.
Bonus quiz: What industry does Amazon organize?
Bonus quiz: What industry does Amazon organize?
There's no correct answer here, it's frankly challenging to place Amazon somewhere, because they literally are evolving and encompass so many industries! @uniglobalunion and @AmazonWorkersIn represent trade unions organizing in fullfillment centers. It's rough!
Amazon organizing is a topic of its own, but want to shout out the amazing work of @AmazonWorkersIn @Dch1United @NYCAmazonians @AMZNforClimate and so many other groups!
Our twitter fingers are getting tired, so want to end on this note: If any information was missing (a lot was) please reply with your thoughts/info, and consider updating the newly created Wikipedia page on tech unions!
Tech Won't Save Us! Organize!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tech_union
Tech Won't Save Us! Organize!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tech_union
