Kickstarter RALLY to End Retaliation for Recent Strike Victory

After Kickstarter United-OPEIU Local 153 members won a resounding strike victory, Kickstarter has retaliated and fired several key union leaders. The 42-day strike was won in November 2025, after which the union overwhelmingly voted to ratify a historic contract which included all of their demands, including a codified 4-day workweek, strong protections against AI, and an escalating salary floor tied to cost of living.

On February 11, 2026, Kickstarter management announced that they would be terminating four union members and forcing several others out of the bargaining unit. The company failed to provide a business-need justification for these terminations.

“The retaliation Kickstarter has taken against these employees is unconscionable,” says Zak Thompson, a shop steward. “These are people who fought tooth and nail for a good contract for our union, and we're not going down without a fight here either. We're pursuing every avenue available to us to get them reinstated.” The union has responded by filing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with the NLRB, and filing several grievances regarding the company’s use of non-union contractors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to undermine bargaining unit work.

Please join members TODAY (Friday) 2/27 at Noon for a virtual rally to demand the reinstatement of their union siblings. You can also support by signing this petition or sending an email to Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor at e@kickstarter.com.