Use When
Management quietly steals wages through unpaid overtime or off‑the‑clock work.
People who raise safety concerns or talk about forming a union are singled out for discipline or firing.
Where invasive monitoring, blacklists, or immigration threats are used to keep workers silent.
Instructions
- 1
Consult quietly with trusted co-workers to identify common problems.
- 2
Form a representative organizing group and agree on strict confidentiality ground rules.
- 3
Draft a statement describing the issue with specific examples. List clear demands, such as policy changes or meetings with senior management.
- 4
Circulate drafts during one-on-one conversations to adjust language.
- 5
Decide if signatures will be public, anonymous, or delivered through chosen representatives.
- 6
Gather signatures over a specific period once the team is ready.
- 7
Deliver the final statement together or via a formal delegation.
- 8
Monitor management’s response and keep all signers updated.
- 9
Decide on next steps if leadership fails to implement any meaningful workplace changes.
Historic Parallels
- Silicon Valley, United States, 2018, thousands of Google employees signed a letter opposing the Pentagon’s Project Maven contract, helping push the company to drop renewal of the deal.
- Redmond, United States, 2018, more than a hundred Microsoft workers signed a public letter urging an end to the company’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, forcing executives to publicly address and defend their polici
- Seattle, United States, 2019, over 7,000 Amazon employees signed a climate‑focused shareholder letter and resolution, putting the company’s environmental record under intense scrutiny and contributing to new climate pledges.
Silicon Valley, United States, 2018, thousands of Google employees signed a letter opposing the Pentagon’s Project Maven contract, helping push the company to drop renewal of the deal. Modern Examples
- Warehouse workers sign a statement citing unsafe quotas and injuries. They demand realistic targets, more staff, and seats on safety committees.
- Software engineers sign a letter opposing a surveillance contract. They ask the firm to withdraw and implement a formal ethics review.
- Call-center staff protest unpredictable schedules and unpaid overtime. They deliver demands to HR and share anonymous data with labor journalists.
Participants
Individual
No
5–15 core organizers to draft and circulate the statement, plus as many rank‑and‑file signers as possible across teams, shifts, and demographic groups to show breadth of support.
Helpful Materials
- Secure messaging apps
- Shared document tools
- Templates for statement and signature pages
- Know-your-rights cards
- Contact details for a union or legal clinic
- Anonymized worker stories
- Dedicated email address
References
- Labor Notes, Secrets of a Successful Organizer, 2016
- Labor Notes, Back to School with Work to Rule in Ontario, 2015
- Government Accountability Project, Whistleblower’s Survival Guide, 2021
- American Civil Liberties Union, Know Your Rights: Protests and Public Meetings, 2022
- Michael Beer, Civil Resistance Tactics in the 21st Century, 2021
Use of Action Playbook educational materials must adhere with Unruled Masses’ Terms of Service.
Stay Nonviolent. Coordinate Strategically. Take Back Your Power.