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Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

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Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#21
Speaking as an IAM union member, congratulations! now comes the hard part.

You're probably (still) going to hear a lot of FUD from your employer but dont worry, things really do only get better from here. Once you get a union youll get more quarterly insight into your companies profits, losses, and a MUCH better picture of what the company intends to do in the next six to twelve months. Youll also get a direct say in almost anything you think will help the business. Im not just talking about a suggestion box for the snack-o-matic, but real input to people with actual power.

the hard part is the election period. Kickstarter is going to pull out ALL the stops to change your mind. youll get harassing phone calls at night, weird letters in email, meetings intended for one thing but that end up as an anti-union rant (EX: Safety meetings that turn into anti-union propaganda immediately) and of course lots, and lots, of direct mail from people and organizations no ones heard of outside a union busters office. Youll also get invited to a ton of after-work "pow wow" or "support" groups that sound like they are union related, but arent. Keep your eyes on the prize, ignore the fliers on your windshield, and vote.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#22
post #9
post #7

“ I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.” -Eugene Debs

Nobody at kickstarter is living a wretched existence.

And if they want to negotiate collectively to change how the organization treats them, it's absolutely their right to do so. Unionization is also specifically enshrined in law.

I hope they pursue a path toward codetermination: getting workers a seat on the board. It'd be absolutely fascinating to see how that plays out in a US-based tech company; I believe it'd be for the good, but we'll know for sure if we can see it play out.

Edit: Oh, and not having a say in how your organization is run is a wretched existence. Time to raise our standards, if we don't see that.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#23
post #9
post #7

“ I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.” -Eugene Debs

Nobody at kickstarter is living a wretched existence.

That's why they have the leverage to organize and help reset the precedent for labor representation at a point in time when that representation is at a historic low.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#26

What's the benefit of being in a union for highly specialized tech workers that are very in demand?

Same sort of benefits as, say, union electricians receive, who are also specialized workers who are very in demand in certain markets.

Or, for that matter, doctors, who are frequently members of professional organizations that are unions in all but name.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#28

What's the benefit of being in a union for highly specialized tech workers that are very in demand?

The same things as any other union? Improved working conditions (e.g. hours), protecting employees from abuses, and maintaining fair pay & benefits.

Unions as only a working class institution is mostly a US historic artifact. Other countries have unions in highly specialized and in-demand industries too.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#29
post #6

As a contractor, I'm happy for them. One day we will have one big union.

> One day we will have one big union.

The strength of labor unions in Europe is drawn in large part due to the fact that there are a multiplicity of unions representing workers for the same companies, and workers can choose who they want to represent them.

That's not the case for labor unions in the US.

Re: Kickstarter employees vote to unionize

#30
post #21

Speaking as an IAM union member, congratulations! now comes the hard part. You're probably (still) going to hear a lot of FUD from your employer but dont worry, things really do only get better from here. Once you get a union youll get more quarterly insight into your companies profits, losses, and a MUCH better picture of what the company intends to do in the next six to twelve months. Youll also get a direct say in…

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