Re: WMF executives decision not to voluntarily recognize the union
James Heilman via Wikimedia-l <[email protected]> Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:04:26 +0100
| Newsgroups | gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CAF1en7W5We5AT-qxsGvbzDFpGS4O=q-brbnr_-rHzwSNCvNFEw@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============6349930063560773710== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000fa97340657c3c990" --000000000000fa97340657c3c990 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thanks Jimbo, that makes complete sense and also based on that agree a secret vote is best :-) J On Wed, Jul 29, 2026 at 5:41=E2=80=AFPM Jimmy Wales <[email protected]> = wrote: > > > >But Mike if we already have a "supermajority of the workers already did > vote by signing a card"... why is additional process required for process= es > sake? How is >this not a waste of time, energy, and money to result at an > already clear outcome? > > Hi James, this was a question that I had as well, and so I looked into it > and thought about it. One of the problems with the process so far is tha= t > it was > not secret and we have heard from some staff members that they felt > pressured because the organizers would know how they decided. That isn't= a > great process and it goes against our movement's values quite badly to ha= ve > people in a situation where they are pressured into something one way or > the other. > > It's pretty easy to see the problem if we imagine it in the other > direction - imagine some company asking staff to sign pledge cards not to > join a union, and keeping track of who did or didn't in order to put > pressure on those who didn't. Gross. It doesn't make it better for it t= o > be the other way around in my own personal view. > > I want a process where staff are safe to deliberate in the privacy of > their own minds and make the decision based on all the available evidence > that makes the most sense to them. So I don't think insisting on a prope= r > vote is process for the sake of process and I say that with my own estima= te > that the staff will vote to support unionization. I think we'll be in a > better place if it's really clear - a clean and clear choice with no chan= ce > of pressure. > > In terms of time, energy, and money - I don't think it should take very > long and again speaking only for myself I hope we get it done as quickly > and efficiently as we can and I hope that everyone - staff, management, > board, and community can come together to celebrate the outcome. I know = I > will. > > --Jimbo > --=20 James Heilman MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian --000000000000fa97340657c3c990 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks Jimbo, that makes complete sense and also=C2=A0base= d on that=C2=A0agree a secret vote is best :-)<div><br></div><div>J</div></= div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" c= lass=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Jul 29, 2026 at 5:41=E2=80=AFPM Jimmy Wales <= ;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>> wrote= :<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.= 8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div styl= e=3D"font-family:"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font= -size:13px"><div></div> <div><br></div><div><br></div> =20 </div><div id=3D"m_-3753173181163127838ydpc388f99yahoo_quoted_61016= 75827"> <div style=3D"font-family:"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,= Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> =20 <div>>But Mike if we already have a "supermajority = of the workers already did vote by signing a card"... why is additiona= l process required for processes sake? How is >this not a waste of time,= energy, and money to result at an already clear outcome?</div><div><div id= =3D"m_-3753173181163127838ydpc388f99yiv5831847797"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><b= r clear=3D"none"></div><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi James, this was a question that = I had as well, and so I looked into it and thought about it.=C2=A0 One of t= he problems with the process so far is that it was<br>not secret and we hav= e heard from some staff members that they felt pressured because the organi= zers would know how they decided.=C2=A0 That isn't a great process and = it goes against our movement's values quite badly to have people in a s= ituation where they are pressured into something one way or the other.<br><= br>It's pretty easy to see the problem if we imagine it in the other di= rection - imagine some company asking staff to sign pledge cards not to joi= n a union, and keeping track of who did or didn't in order to put press= ure on those who didn't.=C2=A0 Gross.=C2=A0 It doesn't make it bett= er for it to be the other way around in my own personal view.<br><br>I want= a process where staff are safe to deliberate in the privacy of their own m= inds and make the decision based on all the available evidence that makes t= he most sense to them.=C2=A0 So I don't think insisting on a proper vot= e is process for the sake of process and I say that with my own estimate th= at the staff will vote to support unionization.=C2=A0 I think we'll be = in a better place if it's really clear - a clean and clear choice with = no chance of pressure.</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">In = terms of time, energy, and money - I don't think it should take very lo= ng and again speaking only for myself I hope we get it done as quickly and = efficiently as we can and I hope that everyone - staff, management, board, = and community can come together to celebrate the outcome.=C2=A0 I know I wi= ll.</div><div><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">--Jimbo</div></div></div></div> </div> </div></div></blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><b= r></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"lt= r" class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div di= r=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">James Heilman<br>MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian</div></= div></div></div></div></div> --000000000000fa97340657c3c990-- --===============6349930063560773710== 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/YBBQF3YBVY4TFQM7ASL6EPTI4DHFWBVE/ To unsubscribe send an email to wikimedia-l-leave-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org --===============6349930063560773710==--