Silicon Valley has a solution for everything, but who do its ideas really serve? Every Thursday, Paris Marx is joined by a new guest to critically examine the tech industry, its thought leaders, and the worldview it spreads. They challenge the notion that tech alone can drive our world forward by showing that separating tech from politics has consequences for us all, especially the most vulnerable. But if tech won't save us, what will? This podcast isn't simply about tearing tech down; it also presents radical ideas for tech designed for human flourishing instead of surveillance, acquisitions, or to boost stock prices. A better world is possible, and so is better technology.
Solidarity in Canada’s Gig Economy w/ Jennifer Scott & Brice Sopher
Paris Marx is joined by Jennifer Scott and Brice Sopher to discuss the campaign to unionize Foodora and the fight for gig workers’ rights in Canada.
Jennifer Scott is a gig worker and president of Gig Workers United. Brice Sopher is also a gig worker and vice president of Gig Workers United. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @PalimpsestJenn, Brice at @this_is_walmer, and Gig Workers United at @GigWorkersUnite.
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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, support the show on Patreon, and sign up for the weekly newsletter.
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Also mentioned in this episode:
- If you’re in Canada, sign the Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights.
- Paris wrote about why Uber’s Flexible Work+ would be a disaster in Canada.
- In February 2020, the Ontario Labour Board ruled that Foodora workers could unionize. The company soon after announced plans to leave Canada, but workers voted 88.8% in favor of unionization. In August, they negotiated a $3.46 million settlement with the company.
- Sara Mojtehedzadeh (episode 79) made a podcast series about the Foodora campaign called Hustled.
- Canada’s Conservative Party presented a gig work plan written by an Uber lobbyist.
- Ontario has a committee looking at the future of work that gig workers fear will pave the way for Flexible Work+.
- Find out more about Gig Workers United (CUPW) and Uber Drivers United (UFCW).
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