The last year or so has seen a huge uptick in the numbers of people who support unions. This comes even as more and more labor actions have occurred: the GM strike; teacher's strikes in Chicago, LA, Virginia, Denver; and other actions across the country, with striking workers ballooning "to nearly 500,000 in 2018, up from about 25,000 in 2017." With unemployment down, "The tight labor market in the U.S. is leading to a shift in the balance of power between labor and capital, giving more leverage to workers" leading to what one headline called, " the Start of a Great Time for Unions."

That the labor market has finally been allowed to tighten is just one reason that both workers actions and the favorability of Unions has soared. When workers aren't feeling desperate just to have a job, they have the opportunity to assess just what sort of job they have, what sort of company they work for, and what sort of industry they're in. If they find any of that wanting, workers now are starting to remember that they can flex their collective muscles to make things better for themselves, their company, and their industry.

Including the technology industry. Since the 90s, tech startups have prided themselves on their innovative campuses, providing everything from espresso machines to foosball tables to dog walking in an effort to set one company apart from the other. What most have not offered is a union.

Companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook. and Verona's own Epic Systems also offer an incredibly high rate of worker burnout. "Unfortunately, Close to 60% of tech workers feel burnt out, with women being more likely to feel it." Joining a union can solve issues like burnout, but there are other issues that can prompt workers' desire to unionize, such as corporate culture. A great example is the company Kickstarter.

Many of us have contributed to Kickstarter, as it has a goal of helping fund creative projects and is a "Benefit Corporation" that are "obligated to consider the impact of [our] decisions on society..." But when management threatened to bow to pressures from right-wing and alt-right groups and cancel a project called " Always Punch Nazis," the employees collectively fought back. Thanks to their actions, management reversed course and allowed the project to proceed. But there were repercussions.

According to Taylor Moore "within two weeks, the team that I was on was called toxic and we were told never to question management’s decisions again. Staff were reminded that New York is an at-will employment state and they could be fired at any time. Management even pushed out an employee who had posted about the project being canceled in Slack. They said, “We can’t trust you. We don’t see a future for you. We’re not going to fire you, but here’s the separation agreement.” They forced her out of the company."

What the workers then realized is that: "the only way these people could be brought to heel, the only way management would have any checks on their power or accountability, was if we created a new power, and it had to be a union."

The situation is the same in so many tech companies. The only check to management is to have a strong union. The only reason we all have the work we have, with the pay, benefits, and assurances that we do, is because of the union. Workers across the country -- in unionized workplaces such as education and automotive, and non-unionized industries like tech -- are coming to the understanding that our grandparents had: there is power in a union, and collective action is the only thing that might get workers a share of the prosperity that we've created over the last 50 years.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that the National Labor Relations Act gives workers the right to request union representation during investigatory interviews by supervisors, security personal, and other managerial staff. These are called Weingarten Rights.

An investigatory interview occurs if 1) management questions you to obtain information; and 2) you have reasonable apprehension that your answers could be used as a basis for discipline or other adverse action.

You must ask for union representation either before or during an investigatory interview. Management does not have to remind you of this right. If your request is refused and Management continues asking questions, you may refuse to answer. Your employer is guilty of an unfair labor practice and charges may be filed. If you are questioned in a situation where Weingarten may apply, read or present this statement:

"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion."

If you have any news you would like to share with other Members, please let us know! You can contact us via email or our Facebook page.