In a significant shift for the technology sector, employee activism is gaining momentum even as companies lay off thousands to redirect funds towards artificial intelligence. This trend, moving from public protests to more organised, behind-the-scenes efforts, is reshaping the traditional management-labour dynamic in an industry once known for its progressive perks.
From Strike to Settlement: The Kickstarter Victory
This fall, a five-week strike at crowdfunding giant Kickstarter brought employee anxieties to a head. The union's strike fund was running low, making it hard for some to cover basic expenses, and the outcome was uncertain. However, the persistence paid off. The following week, Kickstarter management offered terms the union accepted, including a new minimum-salary formula and protections for a four-day workweek.
Interestingly, the path to unionisation at Kickstarter began not over pay, but principle. Employees initially organised after management attempted to remove a satirical comic titled "Always Punch Nazis" following pressure from right-wing groups. For a company that attracts idealistic workers dedicated to helping creative projects, this was a turning point that solidified their collective identity.
The AI Pivot and the Underground Organising Wave
The backdrop to this activism is a massive industry realignment. Over the past few years, US tech firms have laid off thousands, retreating from pandemic-era hiring sprees to free up cash for heavy investment in AI. Even historically progressive companies like Google and Microsoft have fired employees for disruptive protests over political causes.
Yet, the crackdown hasn't stopped the organising—it has merely pushed it underground. "It's driving the organising underground, but people are organising," said Emily Mazo, a Columbia University doctoral student studying tech work and activism. This sentiment is echoed in actions across the industry:
- Google's Alphabet Workers Union launched a campaign for better job security, leading to thousands of voluntary exit packages being offered this year. A Google spokesperson denied the campaign influenced the company.
- After Amazon laid off 14,000 workers this fall, hundreds signed an open letter demanding a greater say in how AI-driven layoffs are conducted. Two anonymous Amazon engineers expressed belief that layoffs were to fund AI infrastructure of questionable value, while pushing more work onto remaining staff.
- A unionisation wave in the video game industry, starting with low-paid testers, has now reached designers and engineers at Microsoft-owned studios behind major titles like Fallout, Doom, and World of Warcraft.
A Shift in Identity: From Co-Owners to Collective Workers
This persistent activism stems from a fundamental change in how tech professionals view themselves. For decades, they saw themselves as high-skilled individuals above the typical labour-management fray, well-compensated with stock grants that fostered a "co-owner" mentality. The mass layoffs beginning in late 2022 shattered that illusion, reinforcing a shared 'worker identity'.
As noted by JS Tan, a former Microsoft engineer and MIT doctoral student who co-authored a paper with Mazo, AI researchers are now the most sought-after tech workers, displacing app and web developers. This shift has created widespread fear of downward mobility among software engineers.
The reaction from tech leadership is split. Some, like Microsoft President Brad Smith, see neutrality in union drives as beneficial. Others, like investor Marc Andreessen, view the activism as a fundamental rejection of capitalism. Meanwhile, workers like Meghan Day, a Google engineer and newly elected treasurer of the Alphabet Workers Union, point to the demoralising effect of the 2023 and 2024 layoffs at the company.
The message is clear: as the tech industry bets its future on artificial intelligence, its workforce is forging a new collective path to secure its own.
