Name: You Deserve a Tech Union
Author: Ethan Marcotte
ISBN: 978-1-952616-60-0

foreword by Clarissa Redwine

By standing together, we can build a better version of the tech industry.

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There’s a resurgent labor movement in the tech industry. Tech workers—designers, engineers, writers, and many others—have learned that when they stand together, they’re poised to build a better version of the tech industry. They haven’t stopped there: at companies from Kickstarter to Google, workers have formed unions. And you should, too.

But what are unions? And why do they matter? Ethan Marcotte answers these questions through extensive research and by interviewing tech workers with real-world union-building experience. Ethan shares these workers’ insights and stories, weaving them together to outline the process for forming a union of your very own. Because you—yes, you—deserve a tech union.

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Read a Sample Chapter

This book explores:

What it means to be a “tech worker,” and what it means to do tech work
A brief history of worker-led activism, inside and outside the tech industry
What unions are, why they matter, and how they function
An overview of how to form a union in the United States
How to use unions to build a more sustainable future for tech work and tech workers

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You Deserve a Tech Union is a how-to guide, a history lesson, and a manifesto all in one. Ethan Marcotte starts by laying out the case for unionization in tech, and ends with a rallying cry for using our power as workers. I wish we’d had this book as we organized the New York Times Tech Guild.

Nozlee Samadzadeh

Member of the New York Times Tech Guild

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This is the book we need. It’s direct, insightful, and actionable. It’s both candid and optimistic, like the people who do this sort of work. It reads like a conversation with a deeply knowledgeable friend who knows you, knows your power, and wants to help you step into it.

David Delmar Sentíes

Founder of Resilient Coders and author of What We Build with Power: The Fight for Economic Justice in Tech

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You Deserve a Tech Union is invaluable to tech workers who want better workplaces and lives. In this book, Ethan outlines what aspiring union members (or the union-curious) need to do to get started—from understanding history to gaining practical guidance for planning and organizing.

Sameera Kapila

Author of Inclusive Design Communities

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Ethan’s book demystifies unions and bridges the gap between the ideals of organized labor and the realities—both beautiful and challenging—of unionizing tech orgs just like yours. If you’re ready to start building a better way to work, this is the book I would put in your hands.

Erin Kissane

Author of The Elements of Content Strategy

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About the Author

Ethan Marcotte is a web designer, speaker, and author. He’s perhaps best known for creating responsive web design, which helped the industry discover a new way of designing for the ever-changing web.

Over his career, Ethan’s clientele has included New York Magazine, the Sundance Film Festival, The Boston Globe, and People Magazine. Additionally, Ethan is a featured speaker at conferences across the globe, including Adobe MAX, SXSW Interactive, and Webstock.