Unlikely Organizers: The Rise of Labor Activism Among Professionals in the U.S. Technology Industry

Abstract

Tech workers -- professional workers in the technology industry including software engineers, product managers, UX designers, etc. -- are not normally associated with labor activism. Yet, since 2017, we have seen a significant rise in labor actions among this group. Using an original dataset, we 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. This finding extends Fantasia's cultures of solidarity argument to professional workers. We find that organizing emerges out of collective action and ensuing conflict with management: first, tech workers, guided by their professional interest in socially beneficial work, engage in workplace social activism. This generates solidarity among employee-participants but also creates conflict with management and leads to the emergence of labor activism among professionals.