Tech needs a union. Yes, tech workers get paid pretty well. But we really need more say in how the products of our labour are being used. I don’t know how to work in this industry and be an ethical person anymore, and “change from within” doesn’t work when you don’t have a seat at the big boys’ table.
When I started my career, I thought the internet would bring knowledge and enlightenment. It was a just cause. I guess I was just another brainwashed tech utopian. Now it’s getting hard to find a job building something that isn’t an obvious scam or a way to fuck over the working class.
Any context here? Is it related to this site? https://techworkerscoalition.org/
Yep. The onboarding is organized by the “online chapter” called TWC Global, that is one of the many chapters of TWC. It’s an introductory meeting to either start contributing to TWC Global, find out the nearest local chapter or, if you have that kind of energy, start a new chapter where you are.
Is it like a union?
the technical term would be “alt-labor organization”. It’s complementary and supportive to unions and does what unions usually cannot do. Each local chapter does different things and some are directly involved in unionization or works council formation.
Why are there so many twitter links on the website?
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. But I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m personally trying to push more technological autonomy and the usage of more self-hosted software but it’s a slow process. Some chapters though have a lot more discipline like TWC Italy, that is basically all organized on self-hosted stuff and has a social media strategy deliberately aimed at funnelling users away from big platforms.