// HACKER NEWS — CYBERSECURITY
Wikimedia Foundation Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union with CWA
San Francisco, Calif. – U.S.-based workers at Wikimedia Foundation—the nonprofit organization that hosts Wikipedia
and sister projects—have won their union election, voting overwhelmingly to join Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Local 9415. The victory marks an important milestone in a global movement among Wikimedia Foundation workers to
establish collective bargaining through the legal frameworks available in their respective countries.
U.S.-based workers began organizing as a part of the broader Wiki Workers United global union campaign of Wikimedia
Foundation workers committed to strengthening worker voice, transparency, equity, and shared stewardship.
“The recognition of our union’s first government-sanctioned bargaining unit is a huge milestone in our over ten-year
journey to educate, agitate, and organize coworkers,” said Bryan Davis, a WWU organizing committee and WWU-US/CWA
member. “We continue our petition for recognition in the U.K. and hope to see more jurisdiction-specific units call for
voluntary recognition in the coming weeks and months. Solidarity will continue to drive our discussions, planning, and
actions as we begin working on our collective goals for contract bargaining to support all WMF workers regardless of
legal jurisdiction, job duty, or hours of employment.”
In July, U.S.-based workers demanded union recognition after a supermajority of them signed union authorization cards.
When management refused to uphold the organization’s commitment to respect the rights of workers to freely choose union
representation, workers persevered through a union election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“Today’s victory is a demonstration of the power of international solidarity,” said Decovan Rhem, President of CWA
Local 9415. “WWU-US/CWA members organized across their workplaces and across the world, building support among
coworkers internationally and among an incredible community of volunteers and wiki editors. Now, we will take the power
our members have built to the bargaining table to negotiate a strong contract that gives Wikimedia workers the voice
they have long deserved.”
WWU extends its sincere gratitude to the Wikimedia volunteer community. Over 2,000 volunteers and community members who
have collectively made more than 15 million edits have
publicly signed petitions supporting Wikimedia Foundation workers
and affirming the importance of giving workers a meaningful voice in shaping the future of the movement. This petition
is the most supported petition in history on the English-language Wikipedia. The WWU Organizing Committee is deeply
appreciative of this extraordinary demonstration of solidarity.
“Today’s election result is a well-deserved victory not only for Wikimedia U.S. staff, but for everyone who believes in
a free, democratic internet. I am proud to be among the 2,000 volunteer editors celebrating this achievement today,”
said Shushugah, a volunteer Wikipedia editor since 2015 with over 14,000 global edits.
About CODE-CWA
The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a union movement of thousands of
workers fighting every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, games, and
digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America
(CWA), which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand
together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.
For more information: https://wikiworkersunited.org
Media inquiries: info@wikiworkersunited.org, Sean Nesmith snesmith@cwa-union.org