UK staff at the foundation that runs Wikipedia want recognition of the partnership

UK staff at the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the non-profit that supports Wikipedia, are pushing ahead with their union. On Wednesday, the workers sent a letter to the management of WMF asking the organization to recognize the agreement voluntarily.

“WMF has undergone significant changes in recent months, raising staff concerns about transparency, trust, and the organization’s future,” he said. press release from the Communication Workers Union reads. “The staff are long-time contributors and developers, and are deeply committed to the Wikimedia community.”

WMF employees are located all over the world, and the UK team is the first to seek joint recognition. Workers have been preparing for months under Wiki Workers United umbrella, and the UK has the second highest number of WMF workers after the US, the press reports.

The letter sent on Wednesday comes after several weeks of friendly relations between the WMF and Wikipedia. In May, the foundation announced that it is eliminate the favored group which worked together with Wikipedia contributors, the team of editors, writers, and other volunteers who create and maintain the encyclopedia. (Supporters are not WMF employees, although some have gone to work on the foundation.)

The announcement of the possible layoffs surprised many, and both volunteers and former WMF employees expressed concern about Wikipedia’s future. Some have questioned whether the move was related to WMF workers’ efforts to unionize their workplaces. At the time, WMF chief of staff Nadee Gunasena denied that the layoffs (and layoffs) were related to union activity, and told Seaside that the union “respects (a) right of all eligible employees to vote, and if a majority of eligible employees vote in favor of the candidate, we will negotiate in good faith.”

In response to the shutdown, volunteers supported Wiki Workers United: More than 1,100 contributed. signed the petition saying that they would be willing to participate in group activities if the organization wanted this to be possible. Collaboration would mean that volunteers could go on strike, refuse to edit and edit Wikipedia except in extreme cases.

The Wikimedia Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UK-based group Wiki Workers United did not respond in time for publication.