QUICK SUMMARY
Kshama Sawant and Kickstarter United will rally in Cal Anderson Park on October 2 to advocate for a 32-hour work week and livable wages for tech workers. The organized employees of Kickstarter, which unionized in 2020, threaten a general strike if their demands are not met. Sawant emphasizes the broader implications of this labor struggle within the tech industry.
Kshama Sawant and her Workers Strike Back group plan to rally with Kickstarter United in Cal Anderson Park on October 2, advocating for a 32-hour work week and livable wages. The Kickstarter United group, which claims to be the first major tech company in the U.S. to unionize, has organized employees in Seattle and New York who are prepared to strike if their contract demands are unmet. They seek to protect their existing 32-hour, four-day workweek and establish a minimum salary that ensures livable wages. Sawant emphasizes that the labor struggle has broader implications amid rising mass layoffs and AI displacement in the tech sector. She calls for a militant labor movement to confront tech executives and highlights the necessity of uniting labor movements with anti-genocide efforts. A significant aspect of this rally is the push for stronger contracts and worker protections. Sawant's previous role as a Seattle City Council representative and her current congressional campaign adds to her advocacy's local relevance. The rally reflects ongoing tensions in the tech industry regarding workers' rights and job security.