The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the National Institute for Workers’ Rights (NIWR) have released a new white paper, "Who’s Got the Power? Restoring Worker Power in the Age of Algorithmic Unionbusting," detailing how employers use advanced technologies to monitor and interfere with worker organizing efforts. The report highlights a significant shift in anti-union tactics, now leveraging digital surveillance and automated systems to suppress labor activities.
The paper explains that modern workplace technologies, including productivity monitoring software, biometric surveillance, AI-powered management tools, and predictive analytics, have transformed traditional anti-union pushback into “algorithmic unionbusting.” This term describes the use of digital surveillance and automated systems specifically to identify, target, and suppress worker organizing. These tools allow employers to gather vast amounts of worker data, enabling sophisticated and often covert interference with unionization.
Furthermore, the white paper critically examines how existing labor and privacy laws have failed to keep pace with the rapid advancements in these surveillance technologies. It concludes by recommending federal and state policy reforms designed to restore worker power and protect employees from these evolving forms of digital interference.