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+++ title="Mainstream Tech Worker Rights" mediatype="key" conference="seattle-2022" date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00" description="Big Tech sees you as an overpaid plumber" thumbnail=""
videos title="Memory Strategies" embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907" service="vimeo" download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
speakers name="Abner Coimbre" bio="" image="" +++
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Make it a Normal Discussion
Handmade Cities isn’t the place to stage political revolution. However, by 2030, we will already be the best place in tech for open discussions on labor rights and the balance between labor and capital. (Don't underestimate the power of public forums.)
Let's recall programmers ARE part of the labor class and that fighting for worker rights is as American as apple pie: remember how we pulled off 40-hour work weeks or outlawed child labor? The tech industry needs to reckon with this reality.
The more skilled a programmer you are the more you must care about this topic—it directly impacts your economic future. That said, we welcome thoughtful disagreements as much as support. These debates must occur without resorting to thought-stopping clichés like calling one side “robber barons” or the other “communists.”
If we can agree the status quo needs to change, you’re in good company.
Progress So Far
At the end of 2024, Handmade Cities took a risky step by shifting the Overton window of acceptable discourse. We platformed Andrew Kelley (creator of the Zig programming language) and his divisive keynote—a condemnation of the software industry’s financial incentives.
Secretary's Note: The Twitch stream is not available as a recording yet, but we have a backup on YouTube (timestamped):
Andrew's sharp tongue is partially responsible for the civil war within the Handmade community (see here and here) and we’re still recovering from the fallout. However, we stand by the decision.
Abner believes Andrew’s diagnosis of the industry’s problems was largely accurate. However, unlike Andrew, Handmade Cities disagrees open-source software or non-profits will rescue us; read our other Key Objective: Protect Small Software Shops. In addition, we're betting on a culture where social status is conferred to long-term business owners. Companies like Sublime HQ and the mighty Valve (no longer small!) are excellent examples of this approach. We require the presence of nimble competitors keeping Big Tech on their toes.
That said, Abner and Andrew are aligned on a crucial point: tech workers need collective bargaining power. Not everyone can start a business or join some benevolent employer. So whether it's through guilds, unions, or another form, workers (not management) need a seat at the table pronto: being well-paid no longer cuts it. Without negotiating power we bear witness to the continued rise of mediocre software. Workers are forced to endure hostile AI/LLM takeovers without a proper say. Mass layoffs march on.
Handling Future Controversy
This subject matter is part of the 20% of our 80-20 content split, so it’s trivial for community members to skip if they’re not interested. Advisory board members, meetup hosts and paid staff are also not strictly required to promote this subject themselves if it conflicts with their own views.
This all is in accordance with our philosophy Zero Favoritism.
References
- Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech