Surveillance, Spacing, Screaming and Scabbing: How Digital Technology Facilitates Union Busting

TL;DR

This paper examines three high-profile organizing efforts -- at Amazon, Starbucks, and university -- using publicly available sources to identify four recurring technological tactics: surveillance, spacing, screaming and scabbing, with implications for organizing in digitally-mediated workplaces.

Abstract

Despite high approval ratings for unions and growing worker interest in organizing, employees in the United States still face significant barriers to securing collective bargaining agreements. A key factor is employer counter-organizing: efforts to suppress unionization through rule changes, retaliation, and disruption. Designing sociotechnical tools and strategies to resist these tactics requires a deeper understanding of the role computing technologies play in counter-organizing against unionization. In this paper, we examine three high-profile organizing efforts -- at Amazon, Starbucks, and \university -- using publicly available sources to identify four recurring technological tactics: surveillance, spacing, screaming and scabbing. We analyze how these tactics operate across contexts, highlighting their digital dimensions and strategic deployment. We conclude with implications for organizing in digitally-mediated workplaces, directions for future research, and emergent forms of worker resistance.

Figures (1)

• Figure 1: A graphical representation and summary of our four tech-facilitated union busting tactics.