The tech industry, once characterized by innovation and playful atmospheres, is now marked by fear of layoffs and AI-driven job displacement. This shift has replaced the once-popular advice to "learn to code" with a sense of pessimism. However, a significant organizing effort offers a glimmer of hope.

Last May, 2,100 information technology employees at the University of California (UC) voted to join the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA Local 9119). Members cited layoff protections secured by the union and the opportunity to advocate for a positive social vision of technology as key motivators. This unionization drive represents the largest effort to organize tech workers in US labor history.

While the tech sector is relatively new territory for unions, the strategies employed in this successful campaign were not. Jacobin contributor Aaron Petcoff discussed the organizing drive with Local 9119 President Dan Russell and UCLA Unit Cochair Max Belasco. Their conversation focused on the keys to their victory and how workers can organize to shape technology that benefits people over corporate interests.