WMF executives decision not to voluntarily recognize the union
Hannah Clover via Wikimedia-l <[email protected]> Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:59:47 -0400
| Newsgroups | gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CA+DJtyCqagv=kxbJP3G+TbBgF1NP8_EL8s6DJq8ACYwfuRCuSQ@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============4627994947840961735== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000d3816d06579ed738" --000000000000d3816d06579ed738 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Incredibly sad to see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_(WMF)#h-Recent_questions_about_the_Foundation_and_US_unionization_request-20260727160700. Wikimedia Foundation employees deserve better than a statement that attempts to mislead them. https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2026/07/27/statement-cwa-recognition-request/ is full of unionbusting rhetoric. The WMF should be better than that and not be using the same tactics as Amazon. Only recognizing your employee's right to unionize when you are legally forced to is not being neutral about unions and it definitely isn't being supportive. I'd like to quote a statement from Femke in the above discussion: Today was a day to show trust in staff. Because trust is what we will need in the years ahead, which are likely going to be as chaotic as the last couple of years if not more so. The framing in this letter does not convince me the Foundation leadership is neutral in this matter. A small example: rather than acknowledging the WWU effort to build a global union (or network of bargaining units), the text focuses on the CWA, which cannot represent global staff, seemingly to diminish international support: It is important to note that the CWA is only seeking to represent a portion of US-based staff, and there is no global union option due to different labor laws across countries and jurisdictions. Also note how the text emphasises the 'portion of', which is technically correct as US labour law exclude managers, but downplays the role of the union in representing most workers. The FAQ emphases what leadership calls 'good working conditions'. The listing of benefits tries to convince staff that all is well and that unions might not be necessary. What the text fails to mention is that these are not contractual and can be changed unilaterally. In tumultuous times, we need staff that has the security of actual 'secondary labour conditions' as we call them in the Netherlands. The 'benefits' are especially questionable when the "generous" 15-day holiday allowance would be illegal in every single EU country <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_annual_leave_by_country>. Today was a day to show trust in staff. Instead, we've started a rough road of persuasion and spin. Fortunately, as a movement, we are exceptionally well trained to recognise this. I'm confident staff will prevail. --000000000000d3816d06579ed738 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto">Incredibly sad to see=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://en.wikipedi= a.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_(WMF)#h-Recent_questions_about_the_Founda= tion_and_US_unionization_request-20260727160700" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferr= er" target=3D"_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_= (WMF)#h-Recent_questions_about_the_Foundation_and_US_unionization_request-2= 0260727160700</a>. Wikimedia Foundation employees deserve better than a sta= tement that attempts to mislead them. <a href=3D"https://wikimediafoundatio= n.org/news/2026/07/27/statement-cwa-recognition-request/" target=3D"_blank"= rel=3D"noreferrer">https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2026/07/27/stateme= nt-cwa-recognition-request/</a> is full of unionbusting rhetoric. The WMF s= hould be better than that and not be using the same tactics as Amazon.=C2= =A0<div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Only recognizing your empl= oyee's right to unionize when you are legally forced to is not being ne= utral about unions and it definitely isn't being supportive.=C2=A0</div= ><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I'd like to quote a stat= ement from Femke in the above discussion:=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br>= </div><div dir=3D"auto"><span style=3D"color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:-app= le-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",roboto,inter,helvetica,ar= ial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Today was = a day to show trust in staff. Because trust is what we will need in the yea= rs ahead, which are likely going to be as chaotic as the last couple of yea= rs if not more so. The framing in this letter does not convince me the Foun= dation leadership is neutral in this matter. A small example: rather than a= cknowledging the WWU effort to build a global union (or network of bargaini= ng units), the text focuses on the CWA, which cannot represent global staff= , seemingly to diminish international support:=C2=A0</span><q style=3D"quot= es:none;font-family:georgia,"dejavu serif",serif;color:rgb(0,133,= 96);font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">It is important to no= te that the CWA is only seeking to represent a portion of US-based staff, a= nd there is no global union option due to different labor laws across count= ries and jurisdictions.</q><span style=3D"color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:-= apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",roboto,inter,helvetica= ,arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">=C2=A0A= lso note how the text emphasises the 'portion of', which is technic= ally correct as US labour law exclude managers, but downplays the role of t= he union in representing most workers.</span><div style=3D"color:rgb(32,33,= 34);font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",robot= o,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(255,= 255,255);margin-top:0.5em" dir=3D"auto"></div><span style=3D"color:rgb(32,3= 3,34);font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",rob= oto,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(25= 5,255,255)">The FAQ emphases what leadership calls 'good working condit= ions'. The listing of benefits tries to convince staff that all is well= and that unions might not be necessary. What the text fails to mention is = that these are not contractual and can be changed unilaterally. In tumultuo= us times, we need staff that has the security of actual 'secondary labo= ur conditions' as we call them in the Netherlands. The 'benefits= 9; are especially questionable when the "generous" 15-day holiday= allowance would be=C2=A0</span><a href=3D"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li= st_of_minimum_annual_leave_by_country" style=3D"color:rgb(51,102,204);borde= r-radius:2px;text-decoration:none;font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsystemf= ont,"segoe ui",roboto,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:= 16px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">illegal in every single EU country<= /a><span style=3D"color:rgb(32,33,34);font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsys= temfont,"segoe ui",roboto,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-s= ize:16px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">.</span><div style=3D"color:rgb= (32,33,34);font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui"= ;,roboto,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:r= gb(255,255,255);margin-top:0.5em" dir=3D"auto"></div><span style=3D"color:r= gb(32,33,34);font-family:-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui&qu= ot;,roboto,inter,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color= :rgb(255,255,255)">Today was a day to show trust in staff. Instead, we'= ve started a rough road of persuasion and spin. Fortunately, as a movement,= we are exceptionally well trained to recognise this. I'm confident sta= ff will prevail.=C2=A0</span></div></div> --000000000000d3816d06579ed738-- --===============4627994947840961735== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list -- [email protected], guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l Public archives at https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/[email protected]/message/WVL3VU4IPZKXDGVVXWV6VNVJOHN4COOO/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org --===============4627994947840961735==--