On Wed, Jul 29, 2026 at 2:49 PM Jimmy Wales via Wikimedia-l <
[email protected]> wrote:

> One of the problems with the process so far is that it was
> not secret and we have heard from some staff members that they felt
> pressured because the organizers would know how they decided.  That isn't a
> great process and it goes against our movement's values quite badly to have
> people in a situation where they are pressured into something one way or
> the other.
>
> It's pretty easy to see the problem if we imagine it in the other
> direction - imagine some company asking staff to sign pledge cards not to
> join a union, and keeping track of who did or didn't in order to put
> pressure on those who didn't.  Gross.  It doesn't make it better for it to
> be the other way around in my own personal view.
>

It does make it better, because your employer can fire you, but your
coworkers can't.  That's why voluntary recognition based on card checks
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_check> is legal, and the sort of
reverse-card check / informal yellow-dog contract
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-dog_contract> you describe probably
is not.

As far as movement values, our movement makes decisions in public by
default, often even when conducting formal votes.  Of course, employment at
a foundation is different from participation on a wiki, but if there is any
setting on earth where voluntary recognition is appropriate, this would
seem to be it.
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