Tech Worker Organizing

In December 2025 and January 2026, two new labor complaints were filed with the National Labor Relations Board against Nintendo of America and contractor Teksystems. The complaints allege violations of NLRA sections 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(4), which protect workers' rights to organize and prohibit retaliation against those who file charges. This follows a 2022 settlement where Nintendo paid $26,000 to a fired game tester.

In November 2025, Rockstar North fired over 31 employees in Edinburgh and Dundee, all active members of the IWGB union. Over 200 Rockstar employees signed an open letter demanding reinstatement. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick claimed the firings were for 'gross misconduct' related to alleged leaks, not union activity. The IWGB filed legal claims alleging 'victimisation and collective dismissal.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it 'deeply concerning' and ordered ministers to investigate whether Rockstar broke employment and trade union laws.

Approximately 300 DeepMind employees in London sought to join the Communication Workers Union, citing concerns their AI technology is being used in Gaza conflict via Project Nimbus ($1.2B cloud contract with Israel). At least 5 employees resigned over military involvement and reversal of ethical commitments on AI for defense.

In April 2024, Google terminated 28 employees following protests against the company's $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract to provide the Israeli government and military with cloud computing and AI services. Nine workers had been arrested on trespassing charges after staging a sit-in at offices in New York and Sunnyvale. Workers alleged Google 'indiscriminately fired' people including some who did not directly participate in the sit-in, calling it 'flagrant retaliation.'

NLRB regional director found Tesla 'promulgated and maintained' workplace technology policies in 2023 meant to discourage employees from forming or joining a union. Tesla faces the longest strike in Sweden since 1938 (ongoing since Oct 2023) over refusal to sign collective bargaining agreements. The NLRB had 24 open investigations into Musk's companies as of January 2025.

In March 2024, workers at Toyota's engine plant in Troy, Missouri launched a UAW organizing campaign with 30% of the 1,000 workers signed up. Workers described unsafe conditions including being ordered to clean confined spaces with only KN-95 masks instead of proper hazmat equipment. Workers reported injuries including torn rotator cuffs and fractured skulls, with one worker ordered to return to work the Monday after Friday surgery.

In October 2023, mechanics who are members of the Swedish trade union IF Metall began striking against Tesla, making it the longest strike in Sweden since 1938. The strike was triggered by Tesla's refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement, standard practice in Sweden's labor market. Multiple other Swedish unions joined in solidarity actions, blocking Tesla deliveries and services. Tesla is the only major automaker operating in Sweden without a collective agreement.

In February 2023, more than 30 employees at Tesla's Buffalo Gigafactory were fired one day after workers publicly announced their intent to unionize with Workers United. Workers alleged the firings were in retaliation for union activity. The NLRB later dismissed the retaliatory firing charge but found merit in charges regarding workplace surveillance and captive audience meetings. In April 2024, the NLRB filed a complaint alleging Tesla unlawfully implemented policies to prevent unionizing at the Buffalo plant.

GoTo laid off 1,300 employees (12% of workforce) in November 2022 and 600 more in March 2023. CEO Andre Soelistyo apologized for not providing advance notice. Research by Sedane Labour Resource Centre found Gojek uses 'community' frameworks to surveil gig workers and identify protesters, reducing likelihood of workers joining unions. Indonesian labor law does not allow gig workers to unionize.

In 2022, the Colombian Labor Ministry launched a probe investigating Rappi for its approach to health and safety of workers, and over whether the company violated local laws by refusing to negotiate with the union UNIDAPP. The investigation followed election of Colombia's first leftist president. Workers earn as little as $7 for 17-hour days, with 68.7% working 7 days/week averaging 10 hours/day according to Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

In June 2022, SpaceX fired at least 8 employees who organized an open letter signed by over 400 staff criticizing CEO Elon Musk's public behavior as a 'distraction and embarrassment' and calling out a culture of 'sexism, harassment and discrimination.' In January 2024, the NLRB formally charged SpaceX with illegal retaliation, alleging the company also interrogated dozens of employees, created an impression of surveillance, and entered into unlawful severance agreements. SpaceX challenged the constitutionality of the NLRB itself in response.

In June 2022, SpaceX fired employees who circulated an internal open letter calling Musk's online behavior 'a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment.' The NLRB filed a complaint in January 2024 alleging 37 labor law violations including intimidation, interrogation, surveillance of employees, and retaliation. SpaceX sued the NLRB claiming its structure was unconstitutional; the case was withdrawn in December 2024.

In June 2022, Microsoft entered a labor neutrality agreement with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), committing not to oppose unionization efforts at Activision Blizzard. This led to CWA successfully organizing workers at Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, and other studios. Microsoft became the first major US tech company to voluntarily recognize a union at a gaming subsidiary, in contrast to industry norms of opposing unionization.

In 2021, Amazon conducted an aggressive anti-union campaign at its Bessemer, Alabama warehouse (BHM1) during RWDSU union elections. The NLRB found Amazon violated labor law through mandatory 'captive audience' meetings, improper polling of employees, threats about facility closure, and installing a mailbox that created the appearance of election irregularity. The first election was invalidated; a second vote in 2022 also rejected unionization amid continued objections.

CEO Niklas Östberg told Business Insider December 2020: 'I'm not a fan of collective wages' and advocated for 'individual salary negotiations.' Company actively tried to prevent works councils from forming in Germany. In Münster 2018, Delivery Hero tried to prevent works council election at Foodora, forcing union NGG to take legal action. Members of Bundestag were 'outraged' and attacked Östberg over anti-union stance. Despite resistance, SE Works Council eventually established April 2018 after 'months of tough negotiations.' Company refused to pay collectively agreed wages and gave drivers little co-determination rights.

In August 2019, approximately 60 Palantir employees signed a petition calling for the company to end its contracts with ICE, citing the company's role in family separations and immigration enforcement. Around 200 workers also confronted CEO Alex Karp in a signed letter about the issue. This followed the Mississippi raids and revelations about Palantir's role in targeting immigrant families.

In 2018, over 4,000 Google employees signed an open letter and about a dozen resigned in protest against Project Maven, a Pentagon contract using AI to analyze drone surveillance footage. Employees demanded Google cancel the project and adopt a policy never to build warfare technology. On June 1, 2018, Google announced it would not renew the contract when it expired in March 2019. The company later published AI ethical principles excluding weapons development.

After over 3,000 Google employees signed an internal letter to CEO Sundar Pichai demanding cancellation of the Pentagon's Project Maven (AI for analyzing drone surveillance footage), Google announced it would not renew the contract when it expired in 2019. The decision was reactive - Pichai responded to massive internal pressure rather than proactively withdrawing. This directly led to the creation of Google's AI Principles.