Embedded Organizers - Collective Action in Tech

Embedded Organizer Collective

Mentorship from activists, organizers, and unionists for workers organizing across tech.

Guidance.

Find guidance from fellow tech workers to challenge the power structures exploiting, oppressing, and stifling our shared communities.

Resources.

Get tech-specific resources to strengthen your organizing campaign and draw insight from workers who share your passion for a more democratic, equitable, and cooperative future.

Experience.

Connect with fellow tech workers who’ve led collective action at their workplaces to get their seasoned perspectives and advice.

The Embedded Organizers

It’s time tech workers draw from our rich history of collective action by embedding this first hand experience directly within burgeoning campaigns. Thoughtfully connecting experienced organizers with nascent actions builds our collective knowledge, strategy, and resources – getting us that much closer to winning rights and progress in the workplace and beyond.

The Embedded Organizer Collective is composed of seasoned organizers across tech who’ve led collective actions at their own tech companies, hold experience in a core aspect of organizing, and have firsthand experience organizing a union at a tech company. Here’s a snapshot of the organizers you can connect with:

Alex Hanna - Distributed AI Research Institute

“When my manager Timnit Gebru was fired for speaking out about the harms of AI technology, a group of tech workers organized quickly to help us publicize the case, write a solidarity petition, and gather thousands of signatures.”

Travis Brace - Kickstarter United (KSRU)

As a core contributor to the Kickstarter United union drive, Trav helped craft the shared values that the union continues to celebrate today. He also navigated pronounced retaliation from management and was one of the strongest organizers in one on one outreach.

Xiaowei R. Wang - Logic School, UAW2865

“In a one-on-one, always read the situation and find common ground, remember that everyone is a human with human needs.”

Ben Gwin - Temp Worker Justice, USW local 4040 (HCL Union's new name post-contract)

“We (Pittsburgh HCL workers) had the support of Google workers. Their solidarity was invaluable. I personally received a lot of help from a few of AWU’s first council members, we were all figuring it out around the same time.”

A Secure Collective You Can Trust

Our small team of volunteers are tech workers, organizers, and researchers dedicated to illustrating the transformative, lasting, proven power of collective action. Together, we’re building an archive that documents and celebrates collective action in tech. We’ve spoken to hundreds of fellow organizers in tech and deeply understand the unique challenges and strengths that define organizing in this powerful industry.

How this works

We’ve experienced the potential of collective action first hand and serve as the admin team making the Embedded Organizer Collective more accessible and secure. Here’s what happens when you reach out for support:

Step 1:

Your request goes to Clarissa, Kristen, or Nataliya. We review your needs and reach out with some potential Embedded Organizers who might be a good fit.

Step 2:

Clarissa, Kristen, or Nataliya will connect you with the other Embedded Organizers you’re interested in and you can decide whether or not to share where you work, your role, your full name – you’re in control of the sensitive information surrounding your collective action.

Step 3:

Many Embedded Organizers are committed to long term support of your campaign. If you hit it off with an organizer, you’ll meet with them at least once a month to maintain a steady clip of consistent guidance and feedback.

Strengthen the Ecosystem

We created this program because we believe the deep industry knowledge and shared experience between tech workers is essential to the growth of a strong tech labor movement.

The Embedded Organizer Collective supports and celebrates the work of ally groups and organizations in the wider organized labor ecosystem. Guidance from tech workers supplements the engagement and backing of labor allies and aligned communities like the Tech Workers Coalition, EWOC, and CoWorker.

Our core team has organized and worked with OPEIU and UE and have close relationships with every national actively organizing in the tech industry. If tech workers who join this program would like to connect with an ally organization or union national (like CWA, UE, or OPEIU) we can make that pathway. We support all types of collective action, with the aim of growing worker power in the tech industry.

Are you ready to link arms with fellow tech workers to build a better future? So are we. 💪