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Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

theverge.com

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Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#71

Post by czbond »

bwestergard wrote: post #9

This is fantastic news. I'm one of the software engineers who was fired for organizing a union at a SF/DC based startup last year. The National Labor Relations Board found in our favor and we won a large cash settlement. But what we wanted was a union. Seeing others pick up the torch is extremely gratifying. Below are some links to news coverage of our case. https://gist.github.com/bwestergard/a77744dc6f3095fd3fb769d…

Two questions: Why are tech company staff wanting to unionize? For the most part, aren't tech staff reasonably to well paid - with good working conditions and moderate hour expectations (say 40-50)?

Management has the right at a workplace to make any decisions, whether someone in non-management sees fit. Can't people who are frustrated with the company just go pursue a position elsewhere?

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#72

Post by ashelmire »

ckdarby wrote: post #24
bwestergard wrote: post #9

This is fantastic news. I'm one of the software engineers who was fired for organizing a union at a SF/DC based startup last year. The National Labor Relations Board found in our favor and we won a large cash settlement. But what we wanted was a union. Seeing others pick up the torch is extremely gratifying. Below are some links to news coverage of our case. https://gist.github.com/bwestergard/a77744dc6f3095fd3fb769d…

From the gist found the article: http://www.newsguild.org/mediaguild3/software-company-learns... $775k for 15 people especially SF based I wouldn't exactly call that a large cash settlement considering what happened, rep damage, time to find new work, etc. Just had expectations of at least a year salary per person.

> The 15 former employees of Lanetix comprised the firm’s entire non-management programming staff.

Doesn't this kill a company?

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#73

Post by untog »

msghacq wrote: post #45

It will be interesting to see what this does for developer salaries at Kickstarter. If, as a top performer, I get penalized by joining the union then obviously Kickstarter looks less attractive to me. For unions in our industry to work they are going to have to be very explicit about how they are going to raise developer salaries.

Salaries aren't the only thing unions are good for. I'd be very interested in a job that had cast-iron guarantees about working hours, on-duty overtime, no open offices, stuff like that.

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#74

Post by deft »

the_bear wrote: post #28

Is anyone aware of an example where (a) a really small company unionized and/or (b) a workforce unionized without any real demands? I run a 17 person company and I've heard employees mention that they think all companies should be unionized even if there aren't currently any problems that the union would seek to address. I strongly support the big tech companies unionizing and so it would be hypocritical of me to be…

As the owner you wouldn't be part of the union so there would be no "overhead" for you anyway. Do you understand how unions work?

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#75

Post by magissima »

msghacq wrote: post #48

"America’s political climate is changing; among other things, the 2016 presidential election brought up the issue of wealth inequality in this country and made people consider more closely the structural forces that define class here." What on earth does the 2016 election have to do with wealth inequality (or unions for that matter)? Inequality has been on the rise for decades and Clinton was also a member of the 1%.…

They're probably mostly referring to Bernie Sanders, who ran a campaign very focused on wealth inequality. The union link is that when people become more aware of inequality and by extension class, they become more likely to participate in class-based politics and organizations such as unions, in theory at least.

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#79

Post by Apocryphon »

czbond wrote: post #47

Why are tech company staff wanting to unionize? For the most part, aren't tech staff reasonably to well paid - with good working conditions and moderate hour expectations (say 40-50)?

Maybe not at Kickstarter and mature startups specifically, but tech is notorious for having bad hours during crunch time, weekend work and all-nighters. Plus even the best-funded of startups there can be corruption and abuse that HR will not help employees with, see the experience of Susan Fowler. A union serves to provide individual workers with leverage with collective protection.

Re: Kickstarter’s staff is unionizing

#80

Post by godzillabrennus »

maxxxxx wrote: post #5

I wish the US would adopt the German model where unions are for whole sectors. That way it's a level playing field for all companies.

Not a lot of German startups crushing it. Unions sound great on paper but would make it hard to build a big startup.

If that’s the route people think things should go it’d be a big cultural shift from the status quo.

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