this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2023
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Reddit mods discuss forming a union and suing for back pay (old.reddit.com)
submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] ActuallyASeal 39 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm not seeing any serious suggestions of that there. Looks more like hypothetical talk.

I actually had a similar thought to that yesterday. Could moderators be classified as employees for the work they do?

However, the Supreme Court has made it clear that the FLSA was not intended "to stamp all persons as employees who without any express or implied compensation agreement might work for their own advantage on the premises of another."

I think you would have a massive uphill struggle to argue Reddit's moderators are employees in court. Without that no back pay and no union.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

no need to classify as employees to form organised resistance. Look at the French Resistance in WW2, the American War of Independence!!!!

[–] ActuallyASeal 4 points 2 years ago

Correct no need to form a union for resistance.

Unions just have special protected legal protection that could be utilized in a legal battle or to threaten legal battles in order to get concessions.

Right now all there is is the threat of lawsuits, that Reddit will probably win, in order to threaten more lawsuits. The negotiation power to get concessions there is limited at best.