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Wiki Workers United

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Wiki Workers United
Founded2026; 0 years ago (2026)
TypeTrade union
Locations
    • United States
    • United Kingdom
Websitewikiworkersunited.org Edit this at Wikidata

In September 2026, US employees of Wikimedia Foundation elected a union, with the support of Communication Workers of America.

Prior to the successful vote, employees of the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) in both the US and UK, with the support of volunteer editors of the Wikimedia movement, requested their trade unions, branded as Wiki Workers United, to be recognised. WMF did not voluntarily recognise either US or UK requests, and hired the union-busting firm Littler Mendelson to advice WMF's response during the unionisation vote called by WWU–US/CWA. Wikimedia volunteers criticised WMF's actions.

In 2014, Wikimedia Deutschland (WMDE) employees elected a works council, which has 7 members as of 2026. WMDE has not concluded any collective agreement.[‡ 1]

Background

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The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. is an American nonprofit organisation headquartered in San Francisco, California[1] that employs 700 workers in 44 countries.[‡ 2] It is most known for hosting Wikipedia, one of the world's most visited websites. It also hosts 14 related open collaboration projects, and supports the development of MediaWiki, the wiki software that underpins them all.[2][3][4] As of June 2022 the WMF reported $239 million in net assets. It was expected to raise $174 million in revenue in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.[5]

Germany

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Wikimedia Deutschland (WMDE) was established in 2004 as a non-profit in Germany.[6] It is principally responsible for the development of Wikidata.[‡ 3] According to its records in 2025, it had over 110,000 dues-paying members and employed around 180 people,[‡ 4] working on projects ranging from public relations to technical development of Wikidata to community support for contributors to Wikipedia and sister projects. It has its own fundraising team and is supported in part by dues from its membership.[‡ 5]

In 2014, WMDE employees elected a works council which has 7-employee representatives as of 2026. The works council has negotiated works agreements covering topics like salary guideline structures (but not the actual amounts, which is reserved right of trade unions) and sick leave reintegration plans [de] and mobile work. WMDE has not concluded any collective agreement with a trade union, so employees are not covered by any collective agreement coverage.[‡ 1]

In a joint statement published on 3 September 2026, the executive director and the works council explained the benefits of employee representative structures, including transparency, identifying problems early on and that competing interests of the employer/employee are normal and solvable. It echoed concerns about the choice of WMF to retain law firm Littler Mendelson given its reputation for union busting.[‡ 1]

German labour representation has a dual structure of trade unions and works councils. Trade unions like ver.di negotiate collective agreements with individual employers and regional collective agreements with employers associations (e.g. retail or non-profit sector). Works councils are made up of elected employees in the workplace. They negotiate works agreements and have various co-determination, participation and information rights. In theory works councils do not overlap with collective bargaining regarding wage adjustments. Formally separate structures, many works council members are de-facto union representatives.[7]

United Kingdom

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Statutory trade union recognition in United Kingdom labour law is governed by Schedule A1 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999. Any union can initiate the statutory recognition process by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), when it has at least 10% union density (ratio of union to non union members) within the proposed bargaining unit. When a majority of the bargaining unit are members, the CAC can automatically recognise the union, otherwise it is determined in a ballot election process.[8][‡ 6]

On 24 June 2026, Communication Workers Union sent a letter for voluntary recognition to the employer, which is SafeGuard (an employer of record) on behalf of Wikimedia Foundation. The employer declined to recognise, but agreed to negotiate the scope of the bargaining unit and conditions around it.[‡ 7][9]

On 7 August, CWU petitioned the Central Arbitration Committee to begin the statutory union recognition process. Acas provided formal mediation to resolve differences around bargaining unit eligibility. On 6 September, CAC confirmed that out of the 45-proposed employee bargaining unit, 26 employees were union members of CWU, well over the 10% minimum threshold, and potentially enough for union recognition without requiring a ballot election.[‡ 7]

United States

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Employer opposition to unions has been common in the United States since the 19th century. In cases of illegal interference, such as unfair labour practices, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has limited mechanisms to enforce the law under the National Labor Relations Act – which codifies worker rights. Unlike the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the NLRB cannot impose fines.[10] Employees in a workplace can form a union if a majority sign union cards or vote in a supervised election. Union density (the ratio of union to non-union workers) was low in the US in the early 2020s. Several union actions in 2023 attracted public interest.[11][12] According to labour sociologist Joshua Mayor, unionisation efforts sometimes fail not because workers are against unions, but because workers do not believe they can win.[13]

Organizing

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People supporting a Wiki Workers United union at Wikimania 2026
Bernadette Meehan answers question on Wiki Workers United US's request for voluntary recognition at Wikimania 2026

Wiki Workers United formed in early 2026.[14] In May of that year, WMF disbanded the Community Tech team, shortly after the dismissal of prominent union-supporter Brooke Vibber, one of the architects of the MediaWiki software.[14][15]

On 24 June, United Kingdom (UK) WMF employees were the first country-based group to seek union recognition under the Wiki Workers United (WWU) umbrella, with the support of the Communication Workers Union. The UK has the second highest number of staff after the United States.[9]

Number of signers of the petition over time

A month later, the United States (US) staff launched their own voluntary union recognition from WMF. The labour union is supported by the Communications Workers of America. By 24 July, over 1,190 volunteer editors had signed a petition, pledging to go on a solidarity strike, should Wiki Workers United call for one.[16] Tactics discussed for a possible volunteer editor strike ranged from blocking donation banners to limiting editorial maintenance by not removing spam and ordinary vandalism.[17]

Sample ballot sent by the NLRB ahead of the election

On 27 July, WMF stated that it would not voluntarily recognise the United States union. It stated that the union would need to pursue a formal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election procedure instead.

Accompanying its announcement, WMF published an FAQ stating that it had heard dissenting voices and referred to benefits already provided to employees. According to Der Standard, the talking point about existing employee benefits is common among anti-union employers.[18] 404 Media noted that the statement used "very carefully-worded language common among companies and organisations that have fought against unionisation".[19] According to Der Standard, Wikipedia community members were "extremely angry" (German: die Kommentatoren äußerst ungehalten) with WMF's 27 July statement.[18]

On 28 July, WWU US stated that it had lodged a request for an NLRB ballot, alleging that WMF had used "typical union-busting tactics" and describing the WMF's use of resources as "insulting and expensive" by its hiring of the historically union-busting legal firm Littler Mendelson to represent it in the NLRB ballot.[20]

On 3 September 2026, the WWU–US NLRB election was successful, with 158 of the 172 ballots cast supporting unionisation,[‡ 8] to affiliate it with Communications Workers of America Local 9415. Both the union and Foundation will begin the collective bargaining process, which CEO Bernadette Meehan committed to negotiate "in good faith" for a "timely agreement". Primary motivations included hiring decisions, just cause termination and the 4-day work week.[21]

Reactions

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The activities aimed at unionisation and the responses attracted international reporting.[22] On 29 May 2026, the Polish tech media service Telepolis described the threatened strike as a "serious conflict" that could "significantly" lower Wikipedia's quality.[17] LiFO saw the WMF's refusal of voluntary recognition as a paradox, in that "an institution based on the idea that communities know how to organise themselves" asked for the "will of its workers" to be assessed a "second, institutional" time. On 28 July, LiFO described the conflict as a question not solvable by "just a citation": "if knowledge is a public good, who has a say in how the work behind it is organised?" (Greek: αν η γνώση είναι κοινό αγαθό, ποιος έχει φωνή στον τρόπο που οργανώνεται η εργασία πίσω από αυτήν)[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Hanson, Jarice (2016). The Social Media Revolution: An Economic Encyclopedia of Friending, Following, Texting, and Connecting. ABC-CLIO. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-61069-768-2.
  2. ↑ Jacobs, Julia (8 April 2019). "Wikipedia Isn't Officially a Social Network. But the Harassment Can Get Ugly". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Cohen, Noam (16 March 2021). "Wikipedia Is Finally Asking Big Tech to Pay Up". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Culliford, Elizabeth (2 February 2021). "Exclusive: Wikipedia launches new global rules to combat site abuses". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  5. ↑ Orlowski, Andrew (28 August 2023). "Wikipedia should focus on content creation – not social justice campaigns". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Wikimedia Deutschland - Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V. - VR 23855". G-BRIS. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  7. ↑ Müller, Torsten; Schulten, Thorsten (14 June 2023). "Chapter 12 Germany: Different worlds of trade unionism" (PDF). In Waddington, Jeremy; Müller, Torsten; Vandaele, Kurt (eds.). Trade Unions in the European Union. Peter Lang Verlag. pp. 459–502. doi:10.3726/b20254. ISBN 978-2-87574-635-1. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024 – via European Trade Union Institute.
  8. ↑ Dukes, R. (1 September 2008). "The Statutory Recognition Procedure 1999: No Bias in Favour of Recognition?". Industrial Law Journal. 37 (3): 236–267. doi:10.1093/indlaw/dwn010. ISSN 0305-9332.
  9. 1 2 Sheera, Sophia (25 June 2026). "Wikipedia Workers in the UK Move to Unionise Amid Feud Over Sackings". Novara Media. Novara Media.
  10. ↑ Rhinehart, Lynn; McNicholas, Celine (22 April 2021). "Shortchanged—weak Anti-Retaliation Provisions in the National Labor Relations Act Cost Workers Billions". Economic Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  11. ↑ Hull, Dana; Eidelson, Josh (11 January 2024). "Tesla Boosts Pay for Fremont Factory Workers Whom the UAW Wants to Unionize". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Shierholz, Heidi; McNicholas, Celine; Poydock, Margaret; Sherer, Jennifer (23 January 2024). "Workers Want Unions, But the Latest Data Point to Obstacles in Their Path: Private-Sector Unionization Rose by More Than a Quarter Million in 2023, While Unionization in State and Local Governments Fell". Economic Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  13. ↑ Scheiber, Noam (2 March 2024). "Big Labor Gamble: Push to Unionize Every U.S. Auto Plant". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  14. 1 2 Knop, Dirk (28 May 2026). "Unionization at Wikimedia: Community protest after layoffs". heise online. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Sato, Mia (24 June 2026). "UK staff at the foundation that runs Wikipedia seeks union recognition". The Verge. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Jackson, Ella (24 July 2026). "Staff at the San Francisco-Based Foundation Behind Wikipedia Demand Union Recognition". KQED Inc. Archived from the original on 26 July 2026. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 Banasiak, Przemysław (29 May 2026). "Wikipedia w kryzysie. Setki redaktorów grożą strajkiem" [Wikipedia crisis. Hundreds of editors threaten to strike]. www.telepolis.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 August 2026.
  18. 1 2 Hannah Krause (30 July 2026). "Wikimedia Foundation möchte Gewerkschaft nicht freiwillig anerkennen" [Wikimedia Foundation does not want to voluntarily recognize union]. Der Standard (in German). Wikidata Q140937915. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. In einer angehängten FAQ-Sektion verweist die Organisation außerdem darauf, dass man von abweichenden Stimmen und offenen Fragen in der Belegschaft gehört habe. Wie von Arbeitgebern, die der Gründung einer Gewerkschaft kritisch gegenüberstehen, bekannt, wird zudem angeführt, welche Zusatzleistungen man seinen Angestellten bereits jetzt biete. ... In einem Wiki-Forum zu der Causa zeigen sich die Kommentatoren äußerst ungehalten. ... 'Alle, die an der Verweigerung der freiwilligen Anerkennung beteiligt waren, sollten in Schande zurücktreten oder entlassen werden', schreibt ein Wikipedia-Redakteur.
  19. ↑ Koebler, Jason (27 July 2026). "Wikimedia Will Not Voluntarily Recognize Union a Supermajority of Its Workers Want". 404 Media. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Nino Grasso (4 August 2026). "Oltre mille firme non bastano: Wikimedia dice no al sindacato interno" [More than a thousand signatures are not enough: Wikimedia says not to an in-house union]. Hardware Upgrade (in Italian). Wikidata Q140915997. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Dave, Paresh (3 September 2026). "Wikipedia Workers Unionize for the First Time". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  22. ↑ ウィキメディア財団の従業員が労働環境の承認を求めて経営陣に書簡を送付 [Wikimedia Foundation Employees Send Letter to Management Seeking Recognition of Working Conditions]. GIGAZINE (in Japanese). 25 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Το ίδρυμα της Wikipedia αρνείται την άμεση αναγνώριση του σωματείου των εργαζομένων της" [Wikipedia Foundation refuses immediate recognition of its employees' union]. LiFO (in Greek). 28 July 2026. Wikidata Q140911980. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026.

Primary sources

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In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. 1 2 3 "Warum Gewerkschaften und Betriebsräte wichtig für die Wikimedia Bewegung sind" [Why unions and works councils are important to the Wikimedia movement]. Wikimedia Deutschland (in German). 3 September 2026. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  2. ↑ Meehan, Bernadette (24 July 2026). "Questions for Bernadette Meehan regarding the WMF's recognition of Wiki Workers United" (video). Wikimedia Commons.
  3. ↑ "Wikidata". meta.wikimedia.org. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Über uns" [About us]. Wikimedia Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Wikimedia Summit". meta.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Employers: recognise a trade union". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Case Number: TUR1/1597(2026)". Central Arbitration Committee. 4 September 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Case: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc". National Labor Relations Board. 3 September 2026. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
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