The Cyberunions Podcast: Episode Ten

This one’s for the Tech Workers: Part Two

Tech workers can organise?

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Summary of last week’s show – we are discussing issues raised by Cory Doctorow’s For the Win.

3:00 Labor 101 Part 2

• The UNI Global Second Life strike
• Communication workers of America WashTech local
• Collective Bargaining is fundamental to trade unions – some UK Government info
• Union density – proportion of eligible workers who are members of a union. Union density in the UK is under 30%. In Scandinavia, it is around 80%
• Bargaining unit – the group covered by a collective agreement. The bigger the better.
• Final Offer – a great film about collective bargaining
• The Take – film about factory occupations
• The Android Developers’ Union

18:50 Possible unions for tech workers

• Industrial Workers of the World. Advantages – radical, high level of autonomy, international. Disadvantages: not many resources to support you – you’d mostly need to do it on your own
• The IWW has an IT workers’ section called Communications and Computer Workers Industrial Union 560
• Communication Workers Union
• Prospect
• Unite - big general union. Get 50 members and form a branch. Has an IT section, and organises in companies like Fujitsu.
• Communication Workers of America - with Techs Unite, Alliance@IBM

30:00 Feedback

Let us know your ideas and issues. Contact us by leaving a comment, on identi.ca or twitter, or by emailing Walton or Stephen.

Music: After the Revolution, by David Rovics