Organizing in the Digital Age: Understanding Community, Challenges, and Consequences in Digitally-facilitated Labor Organizing

The contemporary American labor force is highly dispersed, necessitating the use of digital communication tools to bridge spatial and temporal gaps in union organizing. This study provides an in-depth analysis of how workers within various labor unions utilize digital, text-based communication platforms-including Discord, WhatsApp, and Slack-for labor organizing. Through 17 qualitative interviews, we examine the challenges and opportunities presented by digital organizing, identifying both technical and social obstacles. Our findings reveal that although digital tools are integral to contemporary labor successes, they also introduce new complexities, such as navigating technical security, managing information overload, and building trust and consensus. Based on these insights, we draw connections to broader understandings of digital organizing and the role of digital tools in unions.

CCS Concepts: • Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in collaborative and social computing; Empirical studies in HCI .