Union drive at Wikimedia Foundation expands with US employees
US-based Wikimedia Foundation employees are joining unionization efforts, but management has declined voluntary recognition, sparking accusations of union-busting rhetoric.
In June, UK staff at the nonprofit that runs Wikipedia became the first to announce their intentions to form a union. Now, US-based employees at the Wikimedia Foundation are joining the union drive, but management at the nonprofit have declined to voluntarily recognize their union.
A press release from the Communications Workers of America (CWA), with which Wiki Workers United is affiliated, accuses the foundation of using union-busting rhetoric behind the scenes despite publicly claiming neutrality. The statement argues that the foundation's rejection of voluntary recognition and subsequent communications were provided by expensive union-avoidance law firms, calling the use of resources an insult to employees and the Free Knowledge Movement.
In a public statement, the foundation said it believes a secret ballot election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is the appropriate path forward.
The unionization efforts come at a time of heightened tensions between the foundation and the thousands of unpaid volunteers who edit and maintain Wikipedia. In May, hundreds of Wikipedia editors threatened to go on strike after the foundation dissolved an engineering team that worked closely with volunteers. Some volunteers questioned whether the layoffs were related to union efforts, which the foundation denied.
