Heading home early from Labor Notes. Thanks to the organizers and speakers for a remarkable weekend, and thanks to everyone I met for the conversations. (And if you picked up a copy of YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION, thank you for that too.)
Head’s full, heart’s on fire. Can’t wait for the next LN 💖
A prominent Silicon Valley investor is excited about collective bargaining. That made me excited! (Probably for very different reasons.) https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/collective/
I read @beep 's book this weekend and put a sticky note next to every point that I thought was interesting or worth following up on. Suffice to say, a lot of useful info into a 150 page book - excellent work Ethan!
I love all the people you quote, resources you list, and just how easy it was to read. Thanks to your grandma for helping you speak plainly!
My publisher’s announced a change in the pricing for YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION: if you need or want a discount for any reason, you can use the code UNION to get 50% off the book when you buy it direct from @abookapart:
First, hope you’re staying warm! Also, if I may be so bold, you look downright marvelous today.
SECOND, a reminder! If you work in tech AND you’re curious about unions, we’ve got a meetup on ✨Monday✨ (18 Dec) at 7pm ET. We’d love it if you joined us!
long shot, but what the heck i’ll put this out into the world:
if you work for an outlet or publication that’s pulling together an end-of-year book list, i’d love to get you a review copy of YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION for consideration. let me know!
I had a cardboard box in my office with a few extra copies of YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION, which the kittens had recently taken an interest in attempting to devour. Usually when I was on calls! So! I put the books on my bookshelf, and moved a bunch of tchotchkes down a level to make room for them.
Unfortunately I forgot that was the shelf Lily sometimes sleeps on
And I am delighted to be hosting a 📚 free online book 📚 talk with the inimitable @beep about his new book, YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION, next Thursday, Oct 19 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
We’ll dig into the history of organizing in the tech industry (spoiler: there is history here), why unions matter right now, and how you can go about getting one. Bring your own questions, as we’ll open the floor to Q&A.
Join me and @aworkinglibrary next Thursday, October 19 (8pm ET / 5pm PT) for a ✨free online discussion✨ about my new book, YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION.
We’ll discuss some history of organizing in the tech industry, the challenges we face as tech workers, how unions help us address them, and how you can start forming your own union. And bring your own questions — there’ll be time for Q&A.
I am downright honored to have been interviewed by the hard-working folks at the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, who thought YOU DESERVE A TECH UNION was “a compelling and galvanizing read.”
"Instead, we have an Internet used to violently police those borders, and to inflict violence on vulnerable people. This is a clear, strong signal we've reached a new era in the tech industry 's evolution: any industry participating in government contracting is no longer a novelty, much less a utopian one. It is, however, an industry that possesses an incredible amount of power"
And here’s another milestone: baby’s first op-ed piece! Over at WBUR, I look at the twin strikes in Hollywood, and at how their fight against generative AI is a lesson for all of us.