Labor Union Formation and Activity
In the past, mainly blue-collar workers and white-collar workers whose pay were low formed unions to deal with issues such as poor working conditions, long hours, and low pay. Nowadays, employees in tech companies such as Google, with the best salaries and working environments, are beginning to push towards the formation of unions. There is an evident need for more union activities, and this is the case, globally. Employers are trying to relieve themselves from responsibilities such as pension coverage and health insurance. They are also making jobs less secure. Thus, workers need the bargaining power and collective voice that unions provide, now as much as ever. Although most unions behave ethically, others do not, engaging in the monopolization of the human resource supply to force employers to pay higher wages.
In 2019, there was an intense debate in Kickstarter between the management and workers on whether images of people punching Nazis in a comic book should be allowed to raise funds on their platform. This was the tipping point for the workers, as they felt they needed more power in decision-making. The employees were divided, with those against the union arguing that their pay was already high and they had more than the average benefits. Those pro-union wanted to have more power in terms of business decisions, the ability to question the management and conditions of employment certainty. The union organization did not come without resistance from the organization. Although Kickstarter claims otherwise, Clarissa Redwine and another organizer of the union were fired, causing a lot of online backlash against the company.
In November 2019, Kickstarter held forums that allowed employees to discuss the union formation. Eighty-eight employees were eligible to vote, as they were not in managerial positions. Forty-six employees were for unionization, and thirty-seven were against it while five did not vote. The union formalization took place at the National Labor Relations Board. Kickstarters’ executive, Mr. Hassan, agrees that the union will give employees a chance to engage with the management openly.
As the supply of labor increases and its demand by organizations decreases, institutions begin to treat its workers as dispensable. Therefore, any form of resistance or union formation by workers often leads to those organizing it being fired. However, workers should push for unions as they provide more protection and a chance to negotiate better working terms.