A tech worker, posting under the handle 'curiousaboutml,' has issued a call for a collective strike during the third week of November 2026. The author describes the strike as a response to a decade-long trend they claim has eroded 'humanity' and 'good' from the technology sector. According to the post, the primary grievances are not limited to artificial intelligence, which the author characterizes as a symptom rather than a root cause. Instead, the author points to a broader shift toward hostility against software users, the alienation of non-users from society, and a general degradation of the purpose of building software and industry.
In the accompanying discussion, commenters debated the practical efficacy of such a move. Several participants argued that a strike only holds power when it is organized and coordinated, suggesting that a small number of individuals stopping work independently would be ineffectual. These commenters advocated for unionization as the primary mechanism for achieving collective bargaining power. One commenter noted that while tech workers may feel a sense of individual distinction, the lack of 'class consciousness' in the industry makes organizing a significant challenge. Another participant highlighted that many existing unions have 'no strike' clauses that prevent workers from initiating unauthorized actions independently.
The conversation also touched on the changing landscape of engineering work and the role of AI. One commenter, who manages performance and hiring, argued that AI has already fundamentally transformed the industry, moving the needle from '10x' to '50x' engineers and making it difficult for those who refuse to adopt productivity tools to remain competitive. Others expressed a more personal conflict, noting that while they share the author's frustrations with the industry's direction, personal financial obligations like mortgages and family responsibilities make participating in a strike a luxury they cannot afford. The discussion concluded with a mix of ideological support for the right to strike and pragmatic skepticism about the likelihood of a successful, unorganized movement.