UK staff at the foundation that runs Wikipedia seeks union recognition
UK-based employees of the Wikimedia Foundation have formally requested voluntary recognition of their union, citing concerns over transparency, trust, and the organization's future direction.
Staff members of the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) in the United Kingdom are moving forward with their unionization effort. On Wednesday, they sent a letter to WMF management asking the organization to voluntarily recognize the union.
According to a press release from the Communication Workers Union, the WMF has undergone significant changes in recent months, escalating workers' concerns about transparency, trust, and the future direction of the organization. The workers are described as longtime contributors and organizers deeply committed to the Wikimedia movement.
WMF employees are located worldwide, and the UK contingent is the first to seek union recognition. Workers have been organizing for months under the umbrella of Wiki Workers United. The UK has the second-highest number of WMF staff after the United States, the press release states.
The letter comes after weeks of tense relations at WMF and Wikipedia. In May, the foundation announced it was disbanding a team that worked closely with Wikipedia contributors—the volunteers who create and maintain the encyclopedia. The announcement shocked many, and both volunteers and some former WMF employees expressed concern about Wikipedia's future. Some questioned whether the move was related to staff unionization efforts.
In response to the disbanding, more than 1,100 contributors signed a petition stating they would be willing to participate in collective action if the union called for it. Such collective action could include a strike, where volunteers would refuse to edit and maintain Wikipedia except in extreme cases.
The Wikimedia Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the UK-based group of Wiki Workers United.
