Unions Got This - #YouGotThisConf 2020

Unions don’t usually come up in history class. If they do, they’re normally accompanied by talk of miners and Thatcherism. But we’re not taught what unions actually do for the modern, nine-to-five worker. That’s where this talk comes in.

This will be a whistle-stop tour of what unionism means in today’s world of tech. We’ll briefly cover what a union is, the various shapes and sizes they take and what they can do for you, using the recently formed Game Workers Unite UK branch of the IWGB as an example.

We’ll also touch upon the happenings across the pond at Kickstarter and Vox Media as well as how the international movements of Game Workers Unite and the Tech Workers Coalition are bringing unionism into tech industries.

Transcript

1. Unions Got This Organising The Tech Trade
2. Unions?
4. TRADE UNION
5. RIGHTS
6. WORKERS RIGHTS
7. Companies are capitalist
8. What is a trade union? A trade union is an organisation with members, usually workers or employees. It looks after their interests at work by doing things like: • negotiating agreements with employers on pay and conditions • discussing big changes like large scale redundancy • discussing members’ concerns with employers • going with members to disciplinary and grievance meetings https://www.gov.uk/join-trade-union http://www.unionancestors.co.uk/
9. Benefits Elect workplace reps, branch officers and central union officers Democratic rights in union
10. Benefits Fight for better working conditions: • limits on the working day/week, the weekend • longer annual leave • binding employment contracts • parental leave • minimum wages • fighting discrimination • a collective way to demand better pay and conditions Campaigning rights
11. Benefits • Full legal protection support for employment tribunals and other legal cases • Trade union rep for advice, disciplinary meetings • The option to strike For you
12. “Where do I start?”
13. Billy Elliot Pride The Miners Strike
14. FILMS https://laborfilms.com/
16. BECTU • Larger, service union for creative industries • Has a games industry cohort • More people, less flexibility • More conservative, less radical • Because of its broad purview, less focused on games (and tangentially, the tech industry)
17. • There’s a story to the name (too long for this talk) • TL;DR: “independent” doesn’t mean self-employed • Focus on workers who traditionally haven’t been unionised before (like the games industry!) • Dynamic, lightweight, not-bureaucratic (unlike Unite or BECTU)
18. Megaphone != Assault • James Farrar was facing trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of assaulting two police officers at a trade union demonstration. • Their allegation relates to sound emanating from a megaphone and no physical contact is alleged. • If the CPS succeeded then no trade union activist or protester will be safe from police prosecution for something as minor as using a megaphone, a drum, a whistle or even for shouting too loudly. • Case thrown out by judge! • Suing police over the malicious prosecution https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/16/trial-of-union-leader-for-assault-by-megaphone-collapses
19. DONATE https://www.crowdjustice.com/ case/defend-trade-unionists/
20. What is Game Workers Unite UK? • Rank & File unionism where each member (xᵢ,yⱼ) is equal. This is different to business unions where a hierarchical structure exists • Game Workers: people who work in the games industry. That includes anybody involved in any operation within the games industry • It is an autonomous branch of the IWGB (the central union) • Affiliated with the Game Workers Unite international movement
21. GWU UK PILLARS
22. CRUNCH End the institutionalised practice of excessive/unpaid overtime
23. INCLUSION Improve Diversity and Inclusion at all levels
24. SUPPORT Inform workers of their rights and support those who are abused, harassed, or need representation
25. SECURITY Secure a steady and fair wage for all
26. • Aug 2018: Kotaku posted an article about sexist culture at Riot • Nov 2018: Female employees sue Riot over alleged unequal pay, sexual harassment • May 2019: Over 150 riot employees walkout • Aug 2019: Riot settles • Dec 2019: Riot to pay $10 million to approximately 1000 women to settle gender discrimination suit https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2019-12-02/riot-games-gender-discrimination-settlement
28. “But I don’t work in games… :( ”
29. Google Walkouts • Nov 2018: Google employees across the globe walkout after sexual misconduct allegations • Nov 2019: Google fires the Thanksgiving Four for violating data security policies. • Supporters of the fired employees say it was due to their organising activities
30. UNION BUSTING
31. CODE CWA
32. Tech Workers Coalition
33. Social Organise meetups • A great way to meet new people • Create safe spaces (with good codes of conduct • Use free services like Eventbrite • Why not try to keep it dry!
34. Educational You’re going to grow! • Be part of a huge history of worker-led organising • Stepping stone into other activisim: environment, political • Learn new skills you’ll unlikely get elsewhere
35. Rewarding It’s worth it • You’ll change lives! • Be inspired and inspire others • Joining a cause feels like you’re part of something bigger
36. ORGANISE https://techworkerscoalition.org/
37. GET INVOLVED https://www.gwu-uk.org https://techworkerscoalition.org/ @dancparkes