Unlikely Organizers: The Rise of Tech Worker Labor Activism

Abstract

Tech workers—professionals in the technology industry, such as software engineers, product managers, and UX designers—are not normally associated with labor activism. Yet, since 2017, there has been a significant rise in workplace activism over “bread-and-butter” issues among this group. Using an original data set, the authors demonstrate how, in the case of tech workers, periods of intense workplace social activism preceded later periods of heightened labor activism. Regression analysis confirms that participation in social activism increases the likelihood of labor activism six months to one year later at the same company. Extending Rick Fantasia’s cultures of solidarity to professional workers, the authors highlight a new mechanism by which professionals engage in labor organizing: First, tech workers, guided by their professional interest in socially beneficial work, engage in workplace social activism. This action generates solidarity among employee-participants but also creates conflict with management and leads to the emergence of labor activism among professionals.