United States: first collective bargaining agreement in the world of tech

It is the first collective agreement struck in the United States tech sector, outside of sales and delivery platforms. Just over a year after launching its campaign dubbed CODE (Campaign to Organize Digital Employees) (see article n°11582) and the start of a trade union presence at the start-up Glitch, which offers coding solutions to companies, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) trade union has obtained its first concrete achievement – the signing of a collective bargaining agreement at the latter firm. According to press reports, the agreement, which came into force on 28 February and will be valid for 11 months (in anticipation of the start-up’s potential growth), contains provisions on working conditions, a right to recall for individuals who were dismissed in May as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as so-called “just cause” guarantees for employees, meaning the employer must demonstrate an objective violation of the company’s rules in order to justify disciplinary action. The text does not, however, contain any wage increases, with trade union representatives acknowledging already generous wages and benefits amid the pandemic. “We didn’t want to hamstring Glitch. We wanted to see ourselves as partners with management and codify the things that are important to us as a union,” Sheridan Kates, a senior software engineer and bargaining committee representative, told The Verge. The CWA union was recognised by the employer in March 2020 after 90% of the 40 or so employees voted in favour. Keith Purce, president of the local CWA branch, said in a statement: “CWA has decades of experience helping workers improve conditions at some of this country’s largest, most powerful corporations. We know we’re stronger when we fight together, and we hope this victory inspires other tech workers to organize their workplaces.” This agreement comes a few weeks after the launch of a trade union at Google (see article n°12288), the result of efforts by trade unions to set up shop at tech companies.