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

2026-06-18

AI Summary

This study examines the communication barriers and coordination challenges faced by decentralized workforces in union organizing within the digital era. Drawing on 17 in-depth interviews, it investigates how workers employ text-based digital platforms—such as Discord, WhatsApp, and Slack—in their organizing practices. The findings reveal that while these tools substantially enhance coordination efficiency, they simultaneously introduce new challenges, including information security risks, information overload, and difficulties in trust formation. The paper systematically articulates the dual role of digital communication platforms in labor organizing, highlighting their critical influence on the success or failure of contemporary unions. In doing so, it advances theoretical understanding of digital labor organizing and offers a practical yet critically informed framework to guide future organizing efforts.

Abstract

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.

Problem

• digital organizing
• labor unions
• communication platforms
• information overload
• trust building

Innovation

• digital labor organizing
• text-based communication platforms
• union organizing
• information overload
• trust building