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Hi everyone, thank you for coming. I really appreciate you being here. My name is Colin, and it's very lovely to see you all. Our talk today is about demystifying the unionizing process.
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I'm going to talk about the why and how of organizing a workplace, focusing on concrete steps and actions.
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This draws on a couple of recent union drives I have been part of: one I led with a few other people, and others led by friends and former colleagues who were willing to share their experiences with me.
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So, it represents a collective of experiences across a couple of drives over the past five-ish years.
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The reason I'm giving this talk is that when many people learned I led a union drive, they generally asked the same question: What actually happened? If I wanted to unionize, what actual work would I be signing up for, from start to finish?
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So that's the question we're going to aim to answer here. I want you to walk out of here with an understanding of what happens during a union drive, from the beginning to the end.
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Here's our rough game plan: first, I will frame this with a couple of caveats and things to keep in mind. Then, we're going to talk about why this is worth the hassle at all.
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We'll touch on collective bargaining and why the staff of organizations might want to unionize, and what they hope to accomplish by going through this process.
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Then, we'll talk about the concrete steps between wanting a union and actually getting one. We'll also discuss what happens when a union is in place.
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Finally, we'll think about some important considerations for programmers and technology workers specifically.
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Let's start with the caveats. Most importantly, this talk is not intended to answer the question of whether a union is a good idea for your workplace. You and I are not co-workers.
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I don't know what is great or what is challenging about your specific workplace, and I'm not going to pretend that I do.
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Instead, I want to focus on the process as much as possible and be really clear-eyed and fair about it. If you were going to do it, here's roughly what you can expect.
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When you walk out of here, I want you to have some guidelines for figuring out whether this is a good fit for you and what you and your co-workers have going on.
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If you decide this is a good idea, I want you to know what to do to get started and to have a good understanding of what you are signing up for.
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In my opinion, this is a high-reward effort, but it is a lot of work. It's very labor-intensive and often quite conflict-intensive. You should enter this process with clear eyes.
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Except for my first job, every place in my career has generally had a headcount of under a thousand people, contractors included. These include conglomerate-sized organizations like Activision Blizzard that are unionizing in some form.
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I have to say, I can't speak to those experiences as well. Some of the advice I give may still translate, but it's definitely harder to discuss unionization with 10,000 people compared to 50.
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I think the playbook looks quite different for those who are unionizing in larger organizations. However, this talk is not useless even if you're at a larger organization.
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I also know that some larger technology organizations, like Google, have advisory unions among a minority of their staff. However, those unions do not collectively bargain.
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I have no experience with those, so I cannot provide insights into how that works or what the benefits are.
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This talk mostly applies to traditional labor unions that seek to gain buy-in from a majority of workers within an organization to engage in collective bargaining.
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My perspective here is from the staff side, not management. I cannot detail the management experience as much, but if you are a manager or supervisor wanting to understand this process, there's still valuable information here.
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And finally, I want to emphasize that I'm not a lawyer or a professional union organizer. I am just an average programmer. This talk represents my best understanding from having gone through this process from the staff's perspective.
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If you pursue unionization, you may have a slightly different experience around the margins, and potentially a much different experience, depending on your workplace.
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Treat this more like an abstraction. Unionization can look like this, but in specific instances, some details will differ.
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Let's rumble! We are going to start by talking about why this is worth the effort in the first place. The core concept of unionizing is collective bargaining.
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Collective bargaining means that the staff of an organization can negotiate rules and guidelines of their employment as a group. Forming a union is how you do that.
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Negotiating a contract is how you make it legally binding. Kinsey Durham Grace gave an excellent talk recently about supporting parents in tech.
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The starting point of that talk was about employee resource groups of parents at GitHub discussing their needs, which led to organized childcare at work events.
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This was a wonderful example of a company responding positively to employee pressure without the need for collective bargaining.
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However, if companies do not willingly make changes when pushed, then collective bargaining serves as a powerful way to enforce those changes.
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Let's explore this concept with the example of company handbooks. In many workplaces, a team of managers and executives, including the CEO and HR director, generally sets the rules for how the workplace operates.
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These rules are often defined in a company handbook or more informally. For example, management typically decides compensation, including how much staff should be paid and when raises occur.
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Other parameters include whether parental leave is provided, what the dental plan entails, and when employees need to be on the clock.
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If you work a weekend, will you get compensatory time off? Is remote work permitted, and can management cancel remote work at their discretion?
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Lastly, what happens during layoffs? Putting aside how this should ideally work, if a manager wanted to lay you off, what steps would they have to follow? Would severance and health insurance be provided, or could they simply say goodbye?
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Often, when these matters aren't defined in handbooks, they're left to management's discretion, meaning they are subject to change without notice.
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In workplaces that do not collectively bargain or have unions, individuals or small groups can request changes, but it remains at management's discretion to accept or deny them.
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You can ask for a raise or request remote work, but the final decision rests with management; if you're unhappy with their choice, your options may be limited.
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Collective bargaining presents an alternative, allowing the staff to negotiate contracts with management, defining the rules together.
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A union can negotiate contracts that stipulate things like annual cost of living raises, remote work options, and additional benefits that cannot be altered unilaterally by management.
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In summary, this is the main appeal of unionizing: you and your colleagues gain some influence over what is in the company handbook, which cannot be changed without consultation.
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Yet, if unionizing is so beneficial, why not do it now? The process can be time-consuming and challenging, requiring many difficult conversations with coworkers.
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You'll spend many after-hours discussions and face potential backlash from management. Ultimately, winning a union drive leads to navigating legal negotiations, which can be quite taxing.
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The rewards of unionizing are very high, but it is a considerable commitment of time and effort. It's essential to recognize that this effort results in a substantial redistribution of power within an organization.
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If the CEO is legally obliged to negotiate with staff regarding cost of living raises instead of solely making that decision, it creates a profound shift in workplace dynamics.
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Management might be apprehensive about this change, fearing that it complicates budgets or undermines their agile decision-making abilities.
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It is reasonable for management to desire a balance of power, but so too is it reasonable for workers to want a say in how their company operates.
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Since we spend a significant portion of our lives working, unionization serves as a meaningful avenue for employees to advocate for their rights.
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With this understanding of the reasons behind unionization established, let's discuss what it actually takes to make this happen.
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In short, it requires you to get 50% plus one of eligible staff to either sign union cards or vote for a union in a formal election.
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We'll break this down step-by-step, as there is a lot to unpack within these phrases.
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The '50% plus one' threshold is crucial. Organizing drives are majority exercises, meaning anyone abstaining counts as a 'no' vote.
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A majority plus one must formally express their support for a union to ensure that management is obliged to come to the negotiating table.
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Typically, you'll want support well beyond 50%, ideally aiming for 70% or more, but the absolute minimum is 50% plus one.
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This majority must consist of eligible staff only. 'Ineligible staff' includes management, supervisors, and anyone who may see confidential union negotiation documents.
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A rule of thumb is this: if you have a decision-making role or can directly evaluate employees, you are likely counted as ineligible.
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Let's illustrate this with examples. For instance, Mr. Burns, the CEO, is not eligible for union membership since he dictates company direction.
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Similarly, Ted, the sector 7G supervisor, oversees daily operations and writes performance reviews, rendering him ineligible.
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Mr. Smithers is also out due to his role handling confidential communications. If none of these roles describe you, you are likely eligible to participate.
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One essential point is that eligibility can often be disputed, leading to lengthy discussions to determine who is included.
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There are two primary ways to achieve the 50% plus one threshold. The less formal way is called 'voluntary recognition', also known as 'card check'.
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In this process, people sign cards indicating their wish for a union to represent them. For instance, if your workplace requires you to fill out a Google form.
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Each signed card confirms that someone wants a union. If management agrees to recognize the union, cards are all it takes, avoiding a formal election.
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Management will work with you to identify eligible staff, and a neutral third party will count the cards to confirm a majority.
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However, management can request a formal election as an alternative, leading us to the more formal approach.
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This process resembles a standard voting election. Eligible staff will fill out a secret ballot, and votes will be counted on a pre-arranged date.
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Unlike card check, this voting process is anonymous and concluded on a set date, with a government agency—the National Labor Relations Board—overseeing the vote.
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Typically, organizations pursue formal elections when they resist unionization efforts. While not a definitive rule, it often indicates management's intent to fight.
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If an election occurs, and your drive garners 50% plus one in favor, you successfully unionized. Otherwise, the effort fails.
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When you read about anti-union activities in the news, it often occurs when management requests an election and then actively fights the union drive.
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If this happens, having a dedicated organizer will be invaluable in navigating the situation.
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Let's assume your union drive was successful. You now get to collectively bargain, but more work lies ahead.
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First, you will need to establish points of contact for union matters. Both staff and management require clear lines of communication moving forward.
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You’ll need a small group who can represent the union and engage with management. This group may differ from the core team that collected cards.
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Usually, staff conducts an internal election to select these representatives. At my workplace, we used a Google form for this purpose.
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Subsequently, you will also be involved in key decision-making, particularly regarding personnel management.
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During processes like disciplinary actions, staff can request a representative from the bargaining team to ensure fairness.
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Now, let's address the pivotal task ahead: negotiating your first contract. This usually takes time to initiate.
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After formally unionizing, the company needs to retain legal counsel, and you will probably want a brief pause to recuperate.
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Typically, you will gather inputs from all staff, delineate contract priorities, and advocate for these at the negotiating table.
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It's crucial to acknowledge that you won't get everything you want; negotiations require compromise.
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However, as a group, you will have much more control over your work environment and future outcomes.
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This process could potentially stretch over many months, often it takes a year or longer.
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You might find yourself wondering who covers the costs of labor lawyers and union organizers during this process.
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Union dues fund these expenses. Two key facts about dues: first, you don’t pay them until a contract is established. Second, the amount is determined in the contract.
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The company deducts dues from your paycheck as they do with Social Security.
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When we unionized, I believe the dues were around $30 per pay period.
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The topic of union dues often conjures misconceptions, worth mentioning even in discussing the process.
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Now, I want to conclude with key takeaways unique to software developers or pertinent for technology workers.
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In 2019, at RubyConf, Sandy Metz gave an insightful talk regarding programming as a profession, discussing the significant compensation many of us receive.
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It’s crucial to maintain perspective about our responsibilities and obligations as a result of this privilege.
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Keep in mind that programmers often are some of the highest-paid employees in any organization.
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This is evidenced by the boom of software boot camps training coders without traditional degrees.
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My own path was different, and I can assure you securing a well-paying role as a programmer is often easier than other professions.
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Thus, if challenges arise, consider that programmers may not face the same risks as non-technical staff, who might feel greater impacts.
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Remember that the concerns of administrative staff should be prioritized in union discussions.
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As mentioned in Uncanny Valley, some grievances may seem significant but are ultimately minor annoyances in the grand scheme.
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While they may be frustrating, we shouldn’t lose sight of what is essential versus what is minor.
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Next point: not all businesses aim for longevity in their current state. Many technology firms in this space are venture-backed.
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Their primary objective may include seeking acquisition, leading management to resist unionization efforts strongly.
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I mention this not to deter organizing in such environments, but to highlight differing motivations that could conflict with collective bargaining.
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As a helpful tip, I've provided a link to a spreadsheet we use to account for support and follow progress towards signing cards.
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Please feel free to make a copy or share it if you find it useful, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
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I also want to take a moment to thank Skye and Reggie, our AV team here, for making this session such a success.
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Since you've spent this time discussing unionization, please enjoy this picture of my cat, Olga.
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My contact information is displayed, so feel free to reach out if you wish.
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I don’t think anyone wants to see me awkwardly stumble through questions on stage, but I'll be here for a bit if you'd like to chat.