Fresh off the presses, Bloomberg (archive link) reports that a union effort at Grindr has just gone public and commands the support of most of its 100-member proposed bargaining unit. They are seeking voluntary recognition. According to Bloomberg:
Pro-union staff [...] said the recent wave of political attacks on LGBTQ people and the rounds of layoffs in the tech industry brought urgency to their campaign, which they are announcing to the company’s management Thursday.
By unionizing, employees say they want to secure existing benefits such as trans-inclusive health care, and win new protections such as pay transparency and job security. “We want a company built for queer people, not one built to extract wealth from queer people,” employees said in their letter. “And we want to build it together, united.”
The union, Grindr United, also released a statement (pictures 2 and 3) which is via Kim Kelly as follows:
Today, a supermajority of workers at Grindr, comprising members of the LGBTQIA+ community and strong allies, proudly announce the formation of Grindr United with Communications Workers of America (CWA). A supermajority of the approximately 100 eligible members have signed union representation cards at the company behind the leading LGBTQIA+ dating app. Grinder United members work across various departments at Grindr, including cloud engineering, customer experience, design, engineering, IT, marketing, privacy, product, and quality assurance. By joining together in a union, workers are committed to ensuring that Grindr remains a safe, inclusive, and thriving place for its users and workers alike.
With 297 anti-LGBTQ bills currently introduced in the United States, the LGBTQIA+ community finds itself under attack. Now, more than ever, the workers at Grindr believe it is crucial to stand united and push back against these assaults on equality and inclusivity. This urgent need is further underscored by revelations surrounding the new CEO’s previous support of anti-LGBTQIA+ politicians on Twitter and via political donations.
[...]Grindr United hopes that management will recognize the supermajority support amongst workers and extend voluntary recognition to their workers' union rather than unnecessarily delaying recognition. Regardless, workers are confident in their ability to establish their union's collective bargaining rights through an [sic] National Labor Relations Board election.
