Employees at Kickstarter just formed one of the first unions for tech workers in U.S. history.
The group of employees formed Kickstarter United and announced their intention to unionize a year ago. On Tuesday, Kickstarter United announced they voted to affiliate with The Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153, establishing them an official union.
Kickstarter as a company has also come out to show support for its unionizing employees. The company's official Twitter account shared that “Kickstarter’s leadership supports and respects their decision,” adding that the company is proud of its staff. Statements by Kickstarter CEO Aziz Hasan mirror this sentiment.
Kickstarter United is made up of 85 of the company's employees, including engineers, directors, analysts, designers, coordinators, customer support specialists and more. The group is seeking equal pay for equal work, diversity in hiring, fair and transparent disciplinary processes, policies that promote employee wellness and more.
“We believe unionizing provides a path toward furthering all of our goals,” Oriana Leckert, a Kickstarter employee and spokesperson for Kickstarter United, said in a statement. “It was truly an honor to get to have deep conversations with so many of my colleagues around these issues."
OPEIU Local 153 will work with the Kickstarter union to create the processes for collective bargaining and making their priorities known. In a statement, Kickstarter United said it chose to partner with OPEIU Local 153 because of its history of representing workers across a variety of industries and their commitment to economic and social justice.
Kickstarter United’s unionization and its backing from the company’s leadership could send ripples throughout the tech industry. Although many tech companies tout their stance on employee activism, Kickstarter is one of the first tech companies to specifically support its employees' labor organizing efforts.
