137 – Tech Workers of the World (ft. Bjorn Westergard)

Continuing our radical tech worker occasional series, we’re pleased to be joined by Bjorn Westergard—senior software engineer at NPR and Marxist union organizer—for a wide-ranging discussion about his own journey into tech and politics, the influence of Occupy Wall Street, his experiences involved with unionization efforts, what the label “tech worker” even means, and the need for labor to go on the offensive against capital. Info for Jathan’s open PhD position: https://supervisorconnect.it.monash.edu/projects/research/social-political-economic-studies-technology-and-fire-finance-insurance-real Check out Bjorn’s blog: https://socialistplanning.org/ Organizing resources: ••• Collective Action in Tech https://collectiveaction.tech/ ••• Tech Workers Coalition https://techworkerscoalition.org/ Some stuff we reference: ••• A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy | Jane McAlevey https://janemcalevey.com/book/a-collective-bargain-unions-organizing-and-the-fight-for-democracy/ ••• Beyond Liberal Egalitarianism: Marx and Normative Social Theory in the Twenty-First Century | Tony Smith https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1190-beyond-liberal-egalitarianism Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)