[toomuchtodo]

> This is why it's important to find a safe way to organize, and for a considerable number of employees to protest.

Like a union? That could enforce a contract against management and protect its workers with a grievance process? And allow workers to strike against management practices without retaliatory fear?

Note that your employer can't terminate you for attempting to unionize in the US. I could understand those with equity being fearful of championing this (and possibly losing their lottery ticket), but if you have no equity, you have nothing to lose.

[AnonGitLabEmpl]

I've considered this as well. They can't fire you but they'll find a way. See what happened to some of the Kickstarter people for example.

[toomuchtodo]

And that's worse than continuing to work in fear? Not judging, a decision everyone has to make for themselves. All jobs are temporary. Good luck, always be creating a paper trail that you can provide to an attorney or regulator, and CYA.

[stock_toaster]

> And that's worse than continuing to work in fear?

My guess is people are just biding their time until they can find other jobs and quit.

[marcinzm]

>Note that your employer can't terminate you for attempting to unionize in the US. I could understand those with equity being fearful of championing this (and possibly losing their lottery ticket), but if you have no equity, you have nothing to lose.

They have a job to lose. Which starts to matter when you have a family, kids and mortgage to support. Then there's health insurance and possibly having to switch all your doctors.

More broadly, if you think your next job will be better then you should just leave. If you don't then you have something to lose.

[toomuchtodo]

Perhaps you like your job but simply want better worker protections than you currently have (because of the existing power imbalance between workers and management, at will employment, etc). Forming a union is a legitimate strategy to arrive at that end state.

Telling someone to simply move on if their working conditions are suboptimal, to have another poor soul be put into that slot, is counterproductive in aggregate (but I can understand certain parties might prefer that outcome, particularly management), especially if someone would rather put the effort into improving their existing workplace for the benefit of existing colleagues as well as eventual new hires.

> They have a job to lose. Which starts to matter when you have a family, kids and mortgage to support. Then there's health insurance and possibly having to switch all your doctors.

It is illegal for your employer to threaten you, intimidate you, or retaliate against you (including termination) for attempting to form a union. Communicating the above as management could be inferred as a threat.

[AnonGitLabEmpl]

You're totally correct. It is such a hard decision tbh and one I often think about, especially after the past few weeks. Would losing my job for trying to do the right thing be worth it? Could I even make it happen? Are there other GitLab team members out there thinking the same way that would be willing to stand with me? Its kinda overwhelming honestly, but I do absolutely agree.