The Kickstarter Controversy Could Kick-Start Unions in the Tech Sector, Says Filmmaker Josh Fox

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Josh Fox, Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning maker of films such as "Gasland" and the creator of the "spoken documentary" solo performance piece "The Truth Has Changed," joined other Kickstarter users in supporting former employees who say Kickstarter wrongfully fired them for union organizing.  The firings were the subject of a recent complaint filed with the National Labor Review Board.  A sign-on letter spearheaded by Current Affairs magazine calls on Kickstarter to respect the unionization effort and for Kickstarter project creators to express solidarity with the union and the fired workers. Fox, founder and artistic director of International WOW Company, is one of more than 200 signatories to the letter, each of whom either have Kickstarter campaigns active now or have created previous Kickstarter campaigns (in Fox's case it's a current campaign to support a grass-roots tour of his show "The Truth Has Changed").

Many creatives and progressives rely on Kickstarter to raise money, and accusations of union-busting are adversely affecting their fundraising campaigns, driving away otherwise likely donors. 

"What's important here isn't where our own funding campaigns end up," said Fox, "it's to stand up for the workers and for unions.  If the organizers succeed in establishing one, Kickstarter would be the first well-known tech company with a union.  That's our top priority and highest goal in this situation:  justice for workers.  If Kickstarter unionizes, that could kick-start unions in the tech sector, which needs to happen." 

Kickstarter's leadership denies allegations of retaliatory firing or union busting.  It says the firings were unrelated to the former employees' unionizing activities and points out it has given raises and promotions to union supporters.  But Slate has also reported the company told its staff that a union is not right for Kickstarter.

"That's worrisome," said Fox, "and if the fired workers asked us to pull our campaigns off Kickstarter's platform to show solidarity, we would. But they've actually asked for the opposite; they want the campaigns to stay active.  So we'll stay engaged, and encourage Kickstarter to be a leader by becoming the first prominent union shop in their industry."

Note to editors and producers:  Josh Fox is available for comment and interviews on request.

http://www.internationalwow.com/index.html

Contact:  Stephen Kent, [email protected], 914-589-5988

SOURCE International WOW Company

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