Unions Can Save Tech Workers and Tech Work

The tech industry has shifted from a culture of playful, well-funded offices to one dominated by anxiety about layoffs and AI replacement. Executives repeatedly warn that superintelligent chatbots could displace workers, eroding the earlier optimism that encouraged people to learn to code. This climate of fear has made job security a pressing concern for many technologists.

In response, 2,100 information technology employees at the University of California voted to join the University Professional and Technical Employees union (UPTE-CWA Local 9119). The vote represents the largest single effort to organize technology workers in the history of the US labor movement. Organizers emphasized that the tactics used were familiar to traditional labor campaigns, even though the tech sector is relatively new ground for unions.

Union members pointed to the layoff protections secured in the most recent contract as a key reason for joining. They also cited the union’s ability to negotiate raises that keep pace with inflation and a broader social vision for technology that serves people rather than corporate bosses. These gains were presented as tangible improvements over the precarious conditions described in the private sector.

Non-union tech workers at the same institution described a two-tier system where they lost contract protections, faced higher health-care premiums, and did not receive the raises that union colleagues captured within a year. One worker noted that moving out of the bargaining unit felt like a career step backward, resulting in regret and reduced long-term institutional memory. This contrast underscores what is at stake for tech workers who remain outside collective bargaining agreements.