If the myth of tech over the past decade has been one of constant innovation, algorithmic scale, and new products and devices that “simply work,” the truth is that all of those illusions were made possible by the obfuscation of labor: the contract content moderators who sanitize the feeds of Facebook and YouTube from violence and extremist content; the warehouse workers at Amazon fulfillment centers trying to meet the guarantees of same-day shipping; the gig workers of all kinds — Uber drivers, food delivery cyclists, Instacart shoppers, among them — all of whom are at the whims of increasingly efficient platforms and wayward legislation. And that’s not even to speak of the white-collar tech workforce that, while better compensated, is still being taken advantage of by NDAs and mandatory arbitration clauses that keep hidden the realities of discrimination and harassment in the office. But now, some workers across tech companies are organizing for better treatment and pay. Others are making efforts to unionize. Most importantly, the movement will reach everyone who works in tech — and anyone who uses those platforms. The story of the tech industry over the next decade will be the reckoning brought on by its workforce.
SAG-AFTRA has chosen the first picket line in the video game voice actors strike. On Thursday August 1st, members will assemble to picket Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles. Last week, SAG-AFTRA voted to strike under its Interactive Media Agreement after failing to reach a deal with video games studios regarding the implementation of AI protections for voice and motion performers.
Unions representing 14,000 workers at Disney properties in Southern California say the vote passed with 99 percent approval, writes NBC News.
The unions, which are bargaining for higher pay and safer working conditions, plan to meet with Disney on Monday and Tuesday to continue talks.
The Russian cybersecurity company confirmed the move in a statement to Zero Day, saying business opportunities in the US “are no longer viable” and that it’s laying off less than 50 workers.
Last month, the US government announced a ban on Kaspersky’s antivirus software over concerns about national security.
Last spring, Business Insider noted that Intuit was unusual among its peers because it hadn’t done mass layoffs.
Following shutdowns of the Mint app and MailChimp-owned TinyLetter, CEO Sasan Goodarzi today announced layoffs, saying they include “approximately 1,050 employees leaving the company who are not meeting expectations.” as it accelerates investing in data and AI like its Assist bot.
[Intuit Blog]
Dyson, which employs around 15,000 people worldwide, told workers about the cuts on Tuesday, according to a report from the Financial Times.
“We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future,” Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner said in a statement obtained by FT.
[Financial Times]
How Japan has avoided the gaming industry’s persistent layoffs
Workers in the country enjoy greater protection thanks to employment laws, but that doesn’t mean Japan is anything close to a proletariat utopia.
Just days after it reported a 15x increase in operating profit, over 6,500 workers are taking part in a three-day walkout at Samsung Electronics over pay and conditions. According to the FT:
The labor unrest is a new challenge for a company with an anti-labor reputation. Its union membership has sharply increased since chair Lee Jae-yong declared an end to the company’s no-unions policy in 2020.
Workers are threatening a five-day strike next week if demands are not met.
[FinancialTimes]
The settlement would resolve an investigation by California’s Civil Rights Department, which had for years been investigating claims from employees who said they were retaliated against for using parental, disability, and family-care leave.
Employees who used these benefits said they were denied raises, promotions, and stock awards as a result. Microsoft, which has previously been lauded for its leave policy, denied the allegations.
What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more
From net neutrality to H-1B tech workers to cellphone unlocking, much of tech policy revolves around the administrative state.
The California Department of Industrial Relations says that Amazon didn’t provide employees written notice of quotas they have to follow — a requirement of the Warehouse Quotas law. “The employer argued they did not need a quota system because they use a peer-to-peer evaluation system,” according to a press release.
The regulator found more than 59,000 violations across two warehouses.
The Amazon Labor Union voted to ink an affiliation agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Workers at a Staten Island warehouse became the first Amazon employees to vote to unionize in 2022. They still don’t have a contract, as the union struggles to get Amazon to the bargaining table. Joining forces with the Teamsters infuses their fight with fresh resources, The New York Times reports.
[The New York Times]
Best Buy is laying off more employees as it reckons with falling sales
The retailer continues its push to rein in costs.
Last year, General Motors agreed to cover its electric vehicle battery manufacturing under the United Auto Workers’ master agreement as a precursor to settling the historic 45-day union strike. And today, the UAW announced that it has a tentative agreement with Ultium Cells, the joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solutions. UAW President Shawn Fain, who has expressed concern about how the EV transition will affect workers, said Ultium Cell employees “showed the world what it means to win a just transition.”
[UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America]
Handmade marketplace Etsy is fighting for customers as shoppers turn instead of ultra cheap retailers, The Information reports. One problem is that Temu products are often listed for more money on Etsy.
Etsy sellers have long complained about drop shipped items infiltrating the site. It was a key issue in the 2022 seller strike and subsequent organizing efforts.
[The Information]
The unionized workers at the Towson, Maryland store voted to authorize the strike over the weekend, but there’s still no word on when it will start. “As discussions with Apple management continue, we remain committed to securing tangible improvements that benefit all employees,” the union representing the workers said.
The employees, who are represented by the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, will hold a vote this Saturday on whether or not to go on strike. The union says Apple hasn’t addressed workers’ concerns despite “persistent efforts to engage in constructive and meaningful dialogue.”
Inside Microsoft’s Xbox turmoil
Microsoft is making tough Xbox decisions amid a game industry that’s hurting.
As a part of its five percent reduction in workforce, Take Two is closing down Roll7, a London-based studio that developed the OlliOlli games, and the Seattle-based Intercept Games that made Kerbal Space Program 2. In a statement to Game Developer, a Take Two spokesperson confirmed that the company would still support the popular, if goofy, flight simulator.
As previously reported in Alex Heath’s Command Line newsletter, layoffs at the $2 trillion company have cut “at least 200 employees” in the Core engineering group, according to CNBC.
That division handles “building the technical foundation behind Google’s flagship products, protecting our users’ online safety, and maintaining our global IT infrastructure.” Some roles moved to India or Mexico, and includes at least 50 in Google’s Sunnyvale offices.