How Discord and Slack became tools for employee rebellion

In August 2018, two non-Apple certified Apple technicians launched a server called AppleConnect on Discord to help each other with repair advice. They did it informally, but did not violate company rules. As you know, Apple does not disclose how its technologies work. Therefore, the server was eager to help others cope with their problems.

It became so popular that Apple employees themselves wanted to join it. And today, three years later, it has 600 employees. They all use nicknames or write anonymously. They share their experiences with clients, discuss work issues and office gossip. So the server brought together employees, many of whom were not familiar offline, and served as an inspiration for the #AppleToo movement.

“It’s just a place to chat – we don’t see the server as some kind of super-secret club outside the company’s field of vision. People understand that some of the leaders can join us if they want, ”says one of the creators of the chat, nicknamed Stella, who previously organized the leaked images of Apple products.

Discord was originally created as a platform for gamers, but this is not the first time that employees of IT companies use the application for their own needs. And it’s not the only platform where development teams organize unauthorized communities and trade unions. Discord, Slack, Facebook groups, Reddit, Signal have all suddenly become a place where workers come together.

The idea of ​​a trade union for IT workers seemed unimaginable three years ago. “We would be laughed at if we said they could be unionized,” says Meredith Whittaker, a member of the Signal board of directors. But as workers create communities online, formal trade union movements have begun to emerge in the industry, including Alphabet workers union, Mobilize and Glitch

Organization guide

Demonstration of workers in Toronto (1918)
Demonstration of workers in Toronto (1918)

To organize, programmers and other employees use a whole pool of applications. Willie Solis, Shipt Delivery Officer and Union Organizer Gig workers collective, said that they use Facebook groups to collect information, Slack chat for communication, and Signal for confidential discussions. “We would not have been able to unite if it hadn’t been for these tools,” says Solis. “We are so isolated from each other, you have no idea. And these apps have created an environment where we can freely discuss common issues. ” The combination of Slack and Signal also uses union Mapbox

Gig workers rising, which brings together Uber and Lyft drivers, credits the success of its campaign to targeted ads on Facebook. They use advertising to promote, find and engage potentially interested workers. “We use advertising as a tool to identify active employees, and it brings great results,” says Gabriel Cardenas, organizer of the group. He tracks comments and posts on Facebook driver groups for current issues and developers to lead activists.

Gabby Weiss works as a marketer for EveryAction, a software provider affiliated with the US Democratic Party. She is a member of the organizing committee of the trade union EveryAction and uses a variety of tools for different tasks. Zoom for engaging members, Slack chat for communication, Signal for confidential discussions, and the cloud-based Airtable platform for organizing work. “That’s all we found from free apps on the internet,” Weiss said. “It’s funny, because at EveryAction we are engaged in the development of software for organizing work to order. We had to find free alternatives to our web tools that are protected from prying eyes. “

According to trade unionists, the key is to have an encrypted communication channel in the app. Some employees are afraid to post in a Facebook group or Slack chat, but express interest in private conversations. In this regard, Signal is the # 1 tool for union organizers.

Safe communication

Trade union surveillance has always existed, and it has only intensified with the pandemic. “Employers track employee interactions and associations using special software,” says Whittaker. “Organizing workers requires tools that can remain out of sight of the bosses.”

Companies cannot legally ban unions, but many do not allow employees to use work devices and apps for personal gain. Thus, they suppress the trade union movement.

There are not many tools out there dedicated to private and secure communication. Signal is one of them. It is a non-profit organization that is supported by voluntary donations. The emphasis in development is on privacy and security. Signal’s popularity skyrocketed after WhatsApp was forced to share users’ personal data with parent company Facebook.

“The Signal app offers secure communication. This is all the more important today, when digital communications are becoming the basis of our interaction, but are being monitored and commercialized, ”said Whittaker.

Signal understands the value of an app for work movement. In June 2020, when activists of the Black Lives Matter movement were targeted by the police, the messenger appeared face blur function on the picture. “This app is great for coordinating informants and scheduling meetings. We are being watched, and if we can try to keep our communications from prying eyes, then this should be done, ”says Whittaker.

Of course, a spy can infiltrate any chat. Any group can be infiltrated by someone who screenshots all your correspondence and transfers information to the authorities. Therefore, it is important to check who you are adding to the chat and not to use Signal from corporate computers.

Not all companies want to talk about the fact that IT people are using their applications to grow their influence. Slack, Discord, and Reddit have openly stated that their platforms are designed to bring people who have similar interests or want to speak out about their jobs. Such interaction could be the first step in creating a mass labor movement.

Community in chat

The leader of the #AppleToo movement, by the way, was fired by Apple a month ago, allegedly for deleting some files from a work computer.
The leader of the #AppleToo movement, by the way, was fired by Apple a month ago, allegedly for deleting some files from a work computer.

Regardless of whether the listed organizational applications are used by official trade unions, they are of great value for building a community among IT people. The AppleConnect Discord server is perhaps the only place where the average salesperson can chat with an experienced programmer, whose services cost 10 times more. Everyone on the server is encouraged to remain anonymous, given that public statements by employees on internal matters are a sore subject for Apple and other tech corporations.

Groups like r / AmazonFlexDrivers on Reddit are not hiding from their bosses. They anonymously share their successes at work, horror stories and tips to prevent surveillance, while Amazon can’t do anything about it. For example, one of the Amazon Flex drivers said that he received answers to questions about work in the group long before he started it.

The introduction of Slack at Apple in 2018 has fueled a rise in activism at the company. Media coverage of Apple employees’ internal petitions and salary information only confirms this. It seems that the company’s management is not happy with this development, since the Slack channel, which discussed salaries, was recently closed.

Union leaders are promoting the use of traffic management apps. Though they don’t think they’ve made things easy or created unique connections that wouldn’t otherwise have arisen. Messenger helps to assemble a team for a project and get to know each other, but is not suitable for complex conversations that allow you to build a lasting alliance.

“I don’t think such tools can replace face-to-face communication. Live communication is essential when trying to build relationships and build solidarity. Messengers help us a lot, but they depersonalize us, ”says Wes McEnani of the largest trade union. America’s communications workers, managing the process of uniting programmers (Campaign to Organize Digital Employees, CODE-CWA). “People get stressed during campaigns, and I’m not sure if online chat is the best place to talk about these things,” he said.

Apps have played a critical role in streamlining and streamlining operations, Whittaker says, but it’s the efforts of the people who use them that are changing the game in tech corporations.

“The tools were essential for us to get to the point where we are. But only the stubborn resistance of people allowed to create a movement and a community, “- summed up Whittaker. “The movement of technical workers has become a reality. People are beginning to forget that it didn’t exist quite recently. “

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