The union drive at the Wikimedia Foundation is expanding

Core Impact Points

• US-based employees at the Wikimedia Foundation are filing for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.
• The union drive comes amid tensions between the foundation and unpaid volunteers who edit, write, and maintain Wikipedia.
• The Wikimedia Foundation has declined to voluntarily recognize the union, citing a secret ballot election with the NLRB as the 'appropriate path forward'.
• The unionization efforts may have implications for the US labor market and the tech industry, particularly in the context of growing labor activism among tech workers.
• The Communications Workers of America, with which Wiki Workers United is affiliated, has accused the foundation of using 'union-busting rhetoric' and 'outrageously expensive union-avoidance law firms'.
• The unionization efforts come at a time when tensions are high between the foundation and volunteers, with some questioning whether layoffs were related to union efforts.