Ethan Marcotte on the Tech Industry, Unions, and AI

Rosenfeld Review Podcast

In a time of massive layoffs across the tech industry, and with the inevitable advancement of AI, is it time for tech workers to organize — as in, unionize? I know, I know. You thought unions were for 1950’s factory workers. Not so. Ethan Marcotte, author of You Deserve a Tech Union (and coiner of the term “responsive web design”) thinks it’s high time for tech workers to protect themselves by coming together and deciding what’s most important to them as a collective. Certainly, tech workers don’t face the same kind of potential life-threatening working conditions of industrial America, but they still deserve a seat at the table when important decisions about their work are being discussed. With issues related to equality, transparency, workplace harassment, and how AI is shifting roles and affecting how work gets done, there’s a lot to talk about. Ethan will bring his perspective on tech workers and how they’re being impacted by AI to the upcoming Designing with AI virtual conference in June. What You'll Learn from this Episode: - What’s attractive about unionizing for tech workers of the 2020s - What tech workers would change if they could - About tech walkouts and unions that have already happened - Helpful resources for starting conversations with coworkers - The potential relationship among AI, reskilling, and worker unions Quick Reference Guide: 0:20 - Introduction of Ethan 3:35 - How Ethan became interested in the idea of tech unions 6:04 - “Weren’t unions for the manufacturing industry in the 1950s?” 9:32 - The things tech workers would change if they could 11:14 - Conversations among employees – are they safe? Are they protected? 13:28 - On organizing for the greater good of humanity 17:11 - Plug for Managing Priorities: How to Create Better Plans and Make Smarter Decisions by Harry Max 19:06 - How we should feel about AI 22:36 - AI, reskilling, and when workers don’t want to leave mundane tasks behind 31:08 - Employees “voting with their feet” is costly for organizations 33:24 - How future workers may organize as it relates to AI 36:30 - Ethan’s gift for listeners Resources and Links from Today's Episode: Designing with AI virtual conference, June 4-5, 2024 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/events/futures/ You Deserve a Tech Union by Ethan Markcotte https://www.amazon.com/Deserve-Tech-Union-Ethan-Marcotte/dp/1952616603 WorkerOrganizing.org https://workerorganizing.org/ Tech Workers Coalition https://techworkerscoalition.org/ TheFutureIsLikePie.com https://thefutureislikepie.com/