Grindr United-CWA Continues Fight After Contested Union Representation Election

(Los Angeles, CA)— The Grindr United-CWA union election took place yesterday, December 14, 2023, as scheduled by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Regional Office 31. The election results are not yet final as the number of challenged votes is sufficient to affect the outcome of the tally. A total of 87 ballots were submitted to the NLRB. Fifty-five of those ballots are contested, including a number of former employees who submitted ballots and are fighting for reinstatement via Unfair Labor Practice charges. The current tally of uncontested ballots is 19 to 13 in favor of joining the union. These initial results are promising, and workers are hopeful for an election victory once contested ballots are resolved. 

"Today’s results are promising and we look forward to working with the NLRB to resolve some of the contested ballots. We would be celebrating a huge win today if it weren’t for the illegal retaliation of Grindr against our coworkers, who are still standing with us in solidarity and who we join with to demand that their votes be counted. We are proud of how far we have come with our organizing and grateful for the help from CWA navigating this process. We look forward to the next step in this process and remain optimistic that Grindr workers will win a protected voice on the job.” said Colby Sato, former Senior Product Designer and member of Grindr United-CWA. 

On July 20, 2023, a supermajority of approximately 100 eligible Grindr workers announced their intent to form the Grindr United-CWA union. In response, Grindr management enacted a retaliatory policy that forced employees, who were hired remotely, to choose between relocating to an assigned office hub or termination. As a result 69% of the unit was pushed out.

Grindr United-CWA workers have continued to organize in the face of relentless, unlawful union busting and today’s vote reflects their courage and determination to ensure that Grindr remains a safe, inclusive and thriving place for users and workers alike.

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The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.